Massive grizzly bear mauls hunter to death in first-of-its-kind attack in Alaska

A MASSIVE grizzly bear mauled a hunter to death in a first-of-its-kind attack in Alaska over the weekend.

The incident marked the first fatal bear attack at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

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The hunter - who was on a 10-day moose hunt with a friend - was mauled on September 20, according to the .

Due to the pending investigation into the incident, the deceased hunter's identity has yet to be revealed.

Both hunters were near the Chisana River drainage in southeast Alaska at the the time of the attack.

After the mauling, NPS warned on Tuesday: “Visitors are encouraged to be Bear Aware when traveling in the backcountry.

"And take precautions such as carrying bear spray and using Bear Resistant Food Containers."

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The incident "is the first known bear mauling fatality recorded" in the area since the park was founded in 1980.

The warns that if hunters encounter bears that do notice them, they should ready their deterrent, stay calm, look big, and don't run.

It is also recommended to pay close attention to whether the bear is approaching defensively or non-defensively.

Earlier this month, with a bear "scavenging" the area.

A group of hikers discovered an unoccupied tent near Hazel Creek Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The remains were  to belong to Patrick Madura, 43, from Elgin, Illinois.

The bear was later euthanized by rangers after they saw it "actively scavenging on the remains."

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According to National Park Service spokeswoman Jamie Sanders, it is unclear if Madura was mauled to death by the bear or died by another means.

Sanders said: "Our wildlife biologists, who are experts in human-bear conflicts, believe that once a bear has scavenged on the remains of humans that they pose a real serious risk of doing that behavior again.

"We never want bears to associate people with food."