3 people mauled by grizzly bear while hiking near Anchorage, Alaska

Three people, including a youth, were mauled Wednesday after coming across a grizzly bear and her two cubs while they were hiking in a heavily wooded area just north of Alaska's largest city.

Anchorage authorities said four people were hiking in the woods around the Eagle River campground when three of them were injured after running into the bears.

Police say two young adults and one youth were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other adult wasn't injured.

Ken Marsh is the spokesman for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He says it's possible this group just surprised the bears, and the mother reacted "defensively, pretty much in brown bear fashion."

The search for the bears has been called off. Officials will put up signs warning people of bear activity in the area.

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