Officials report two separate brown bear attacks occurred in different communities across the state Saturday.

According to Ken Marsh, a spokesperson for the Department of Fish and Game at least two cyclists were riding in the Clunie Lake area at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Saturday morning when one of the bikers came between a sow and a cub.

Marsh said the bear knocked the cyclist down and "roughed him up." Few details have been publicly released on exact injuries at this time, but Marsh said the cyclist went to the hospital.

The other cyclist had bear spray on hand and began to spray the Sow, which lead to the bear running away, according to Marsh.

Marsh said the Sow was most likely acting in defense to protect her cub. Marsh said a bear will "neutralize the threat by knocking them [the threat] down."

A biologist was sent to the scene and JBER officials were notified of the attack.

In Hope, about 100 miles away from JBER, Alaska State Troopers were dispatched to another bear encounter involving a Sow brown bear and cub Saturday night.

According to the AST dispatch log, Joshua Brekken, 45, was walking on Palmer Creek Road when he encountered the Sow about 30-yards away.

“Brekken tried to climb a tree but the bear swatted him out of the tree and injured him. The bear took off running into the woods with its cub,” the dispatch log states.

Brekken’s injuries were described as minor by AST.

Troopers said the bear did not return to the area.