Alaska hunter mauled by bear – then accidentally shot while trying to stop the attack

The 32-year-old man was part of a hunting party that was attacked by a bear while on the Resurrection Pass Trail near Cooper Landing

A man is in hospital after he was accidentally shot as officials tried to save him from a bear attack (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A hunter is in recovery after he was mauled by a brown bear and accidentally shot during the chaos of officials trying to stop the attack, according to Alaska State Troopers. 

The 32-year-old man was part of a hunting party that was attacked by the bear while on the Resurrection Pass Trail near Cooper Landing in the early afternoon of August 17, an official release revealed.

In addition to being “seriously injured” by the bear, he also suffered an accidental gunshot wound as officials attempted to save the hunting duo.

After receiving first aid in the wilderness, he was airlifted via helicopter to an Anchorage hospital for treatment.

His friend was “transported by an Alaska Rescue Coordination Center rescue team.”

The release also reveals the two hunters killed the bear in the attack but does not name them.

According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, despite a common perception that brown bears pose a massive risk to humans, in reality they will rarely attack a human on sight but may lash out if they feel threatened – especially if it is a mother with her cubs.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports that brown bears can be found throughout Alaska and can reach up to 1,500lbs in weight.

With a global population of around 200,000, brown bears were registered as a species of “least concern” by the International Union of the Conservation of Nature in 2016. However, some populations, particularly in the Himalayas, are being threatened by logging, poaching, hunting, and mining, which destroys their natural habitats.