Both hunters fired their guns while trying to fend off the bear
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A group of hunters spotted a walrus calf that had been abandoned by its herd in Utqiagvik before being transported to Seward to be cared for by animal specialists who will give the babe a "second chance at life."
A 32-year-old man was left with severe injuries after a brown bear mauled him and was accidentally shot in the ensuing struggle after he and his hunting partner were attacked in Alaska.
The pair were hunting along the Resurrection Pass Trail, a nearly 40-mile stretch between Hope and Cooper Landing, Alaska, when they encountered and were attacked by a large brown bear at approximately 3 p.m. Aug. 17, the Alaska Department of Public Safety announced in a press release.
The bear mauled the man and seriously injured him, the troopers said.
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A brown bear fishing for salmon along the shore of a national park preserve in Alaska. (Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
While they were fending off the bear, both hunters fired their guns.
The 32-year-old was shot in the leg, the department said.
Tim DeSpain, an Alaska State Troopers spokesperson, told the Associated Press that it is not clear "who fired the shot that struck him."
A hunter looks through binoculars in Alaska during a trip. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Authorities said that the brown bear was killed by the hunters during the exchange.
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The hunter who was shot was transported to an Anchorage hospital in a helicopter for treatment for his injuries, troopers said. The other hunter was transported by an Alaska Rescue Coordination Center rescue team.
The Alaskan wilderness. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident, troopers said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Alaska Department Of Public Safety for comment.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
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