BOULDER, Colo. -- A mother bear found in Boulder was euthanized after a veterinarian determined the bear was missing her lower jaw and was not able to properly feed herself or her cub.

Wildlife officers were called to the Mount Sanitas Open Space area in northwest Boulder on Wednesday morning on a report of a mother bear and cub in a tree. Once there, officers noticed the mother bear was missing her lower jaw.

The sow was tranquilized so that a veterinarian could examine her. An examination confirmed the bear was missing her lower jaw, her back teeth and part of her tongue.

The decision was made to put the animal down at the location, Division of Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said.

"We felt the injuries were so severe that it was probably suffering," Churchill said.

The bear's carcass was taken to Fort Collins for a necropsy.

Churchill said the bear was lactating. Her cub will likely go to a rehabilitation center until it is old enough to be released into the wild, she said.

However, as of Thursday morning, the cub has not yet been caught, Churchill said. The cub took off when rangers tried to trap it. DOW agents have been looking for it from time to time but feel he will turn up in the area on his own, looking for his mama.

The DOW has euthanized seven bears in Boulder County since June.