The US soldier killed by a bear in Alaska was likely attacked by a female beast protecting her young cubs, state wildlife officials said.

Army Staff Sgt. Seth Michael Plant, 30, was identified Thursday as the soldier who died from injuries sustained during a bear attack Tuesday in a remote training area at Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson.

Plant, an infantryman from the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, who had deployed to Afghanistan, was later pronounced dead at the military base’s hospital.

A second soldier, who was not identified, was also injured, but has been treated and released, Army officials said in a statement.

Plant, originally from Saint Augustine, Florida, became an active-duty soldier in January 2015 following a stint as an Army reservist. He previously served at Fort Benning in Georgia and Fort Bragg in North Carolina before arriving at the Alaska base in July.

A brown bear approached the area where Plant was mauled following Tuesday’s deadly attack, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

State wildlife officials deployed bear spray, prompting the animal to leave the immediate area. A den with two brown bear cubs was discovered nearby.

“From everything we know so far, based on the scene investigation and information from other responding agencies, this appears to be a defensive attack by a female bear protecting her cubs,” ADF&G regional supervisor Cyndi Wardlow said in a statement.

A hair sample collected from the scene matched that of a brown bear. The whereabouts of the bear involved in Tuesday’s attack are unclear, state wildlife officials said.

“Since the attack, efforts have continued to locate the bear,” agency officials said. “A bear that is considered a public safety threat or involved in a fatal attack may be killed by the department.”

Cameras placed by the state wildlife agency revealed an adult bear had returned to the area after nightfall and proceeded to leave her den with her cubs, which are typically born in January and February.

“Female bears are especially fierce defenders of their young and may respond aggressively if they perceive a threat to their cubs,” the state agency’s statement continued.

Alaska’s Department of Fish & Game is urging anyone who sees a brown bear behaving aggressively to report it immediately.

Army officials, meanwhile, recalled how Plant “always had a smile on his face” while bringing joy to the paratroopers who served alongside him.

“Staff Sgt. Plant was an integral part of our organization,” said Lt. Col. David J. Nelson, 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment commander. “His loss is deeply felt within our organization and we offer our sincere condolences to friends and family.”

Plant was attacked as he and two others were preparing for upcoming training sessions in a remote area of the base west of the Anchorage Regional Landfill, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

It’s unclear if the soldiers had any items to protect them from bear attacks at the time. On-base training sessions are rarely conducted with live ammunition in service weapons, the newspaper reported.