Alaska Woman Mauled By Bear While Jogging At Anchorage Air Force Base Survives Attack

A woman, who was jogging at an Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska, survived a mauling by a brown bear after walking two miles to find help, media reports said Monday, citing authorities.

The victim, who asked not to be identified, was jogging at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, when she came across a bear protecting her cubs, according to News Channel 4 in Anchorage, which reported that the bear clawed the woman’s

"The bear attacked her, defending her babies, seeing her as a threat," Mark Sledge, senior conservation law enforcement officer at the base, told Fox News. "The survival instinct for that woman is phenomenal," he said, adding: "The trauma that she went through and the walk out was heroic."

The woman, who was bleeding, began to run to find help until she was spotted by a soldier who took her to a hospital on the base. She was later transferred to Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, where she was declared to be in stable condition.

Sledge reportedly said that the bear was estimated to be between 7 feet and 8 feet tall, based on the seven-inch size of the rear paw pads, adding that the woman was lucky to be alive.

According to Daily News, base officials will close the road where the woman was attacked for at least a week, for security reasons, as recommended by state wildlife officials.

Angela Webb, a spokeswoman for the Air Force, told CNN that the area was mostly used by runners and bicyclists who are warned to carry bear spray along with them.

"In this particular case, the runner turned the corner at the wrong time and wrong place," Webb reportedly said, adding that this was the first attack after 2010, when a bear attacked four girls, three of whom played dead, while another ran to get some help.