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.

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.

The hiker was rescued from the Stuckagain Heights area on Tuesday, July 22, the Anchorage Fire Department said