This is not to say that bears are not dangerous. On average, one person is killed by a bear in Alaska every year, and five or six more are injured. Two thirds of the victims are hunters who surprised a bear in thick brush. Such “defensive” attacks occur when a startled bear responds to something it perceives as a threat, or a female bear feels her cubs are at risk, or an animal is defending a source of food such as a moose kill. The victims of defensive attacks are often clawed or bitten badly, but the attack usually ceases when the bear believes the threat has been eliminated. “Playing dead” by not resisting can be an effective method of surviving a defensive onslaught.
Schooler, Lynn (2010-05-18). Walking Home: A Traveler in the Alaskan Wilderness, a Journey into the Human Heart (p. 69). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.