(Rhyann lee)12-year-old bear attack survivor:

summary:Bears rarely attack humans unless they feel threatened or territorial. But a 12-year-old girl jogging in Michigan is among the latest victims in a spate of bear attacks that have left seven people mauled in five states since Thursday.

Abby Wetherell was out on her nightly jog when she was ambushed by a black bear Thursday outside her home in Cadillac, Michigan. She tried to run at first, but, "It just took me down," she told CNN's Piers Morgan Live.

"It clawed me and it was growling," she said. "It was scary."

Eventually, she said, she played dead, hoping it would go away. It did, but not before inflicting cuts and scrapes to her face and deep gashes on her legs that required dozens of stitches.I just thought I was going to die," she said. "It was very terrifying."

After the bear left, Abby ran toward a neighbor's house, screaming for help. The bear came after her once again, but neighbors were able to scare it away, she said.

Her father, Chris Wetherell, heard her screams and ran out of the house with a gun, but the animal was gone by then, he said.

Authorities also reported attacks in Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho.

The Michigan incident was an anomaly, officials said. Michigan has an estimated black bear population of 8,000 to 10,000, but only about two bear-to-human incidents a year, said Ed Golder, a spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources.

Wildlife officials are running tests on a bear they killed to see if it's the same one that mauled Abby, Golder said. The bear was killed two miles from the Wetherell home.

"Black bears are generally fearful of humans and will usually leave if they become aware that people are present," the department says.

Bear attacks on the rise

Attacks by bears have risen as human populations have grown, according to a study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management in 2011.

Analysis:That is sooooooo scary. I could never imagine walking outside then actually seeing a bear let alone attacking me.http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/19/us/bear-attacks/index.html Im very happy that the girl was able to live and wasn't hurt to badly. but its even crazier that it came after her again.