According to the National Park Service, the majority of bear attacks occur not because the animal is hunting a human, but when it feels threatened or is protecting its young. The only exception is if the bear is "suffering from very severe starvation," the NPS said on its website.

A female hiker mauled by a bear while on a trail in Anchorage, Alaska was rushed to the hospital by air this week, authorities said.

A hiker near Anchorage, Alaska was able to survive a mauling from a brown bear this week. The woman, who has yet to be identified, said that "they were mauled by a bear and needed help as soon as possible," according to the Anchorage Fire Department.