A tourist in Norway was attacked by a polar bear on March 19, and is recovering in a hospital.
Jakub Moravec was visiting the nation from the Czech Republic with five friends when the attack took place. The group had traveled to Norway to see the upcoming eclipse and take part in activities including skiing and riding snow scooters.
Moravec was staying in a tent on an island off the coast of Norway when a polar bear mauled the tent and its inhabitant. The man awoke to find the wild animal in his tent. Putting up a fight to save his life, the 37-year-old suffered lacerations to his face, arms and chest. He tells reporters his only thought at the time of the melee was to save his head from damage. A friend who was accompanying him on the trip shot the animal, driving the creature away.
It is believed that the polar bear broke through a fence set up around the the campsite before it tore into the temporary shelter.
The victim was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Longyearbyen, on the archipelago of Svalbard.
"I am happy, fine," Moravec said.
A total solar eclipse will be visible on March 20 for skygazers in Svalbard and surrounding areas. The archipelago is just 800 miles away from the North Pole. Viewers in Europe, as well as parts of Africa and Asia, will be able to see the moon partially eclipse the sun during the astronomical event.
Tourists traveling to Svalbard to view the eclipse are being warned about the dangers presented by polar bears, as well as frigid temperatures, which are expected to be around zero degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the eclipse. Around 2,000 visitors are expected to travel to Svalbard for the event, nearly doubling the population of 2,500 residents. The Faroe Islands, south of the archipelago, will see 8,000 tourists added to their population of 50,000 people. This eclipse could bring the greatest number of tourists ever to Longyearbyen. Hotels have been booked years in advance, and many people are renting rooms in their homes to accommodate visitors. Svalbard's most popular tourist attraction is normally an Arctic ski marathon.
Polar bears weigh up to 550 pounds, and can grow to stand more than five feet tall at their shoulder.
The polar bear was later killed by rescue workers. An average of three polar bears on Svalbard are shot by residents in self-defense each year. The last fatal polar bear attack on the archipelago took place in 2011, when a teenager from Britain lost his life.
Photo: Eric Savage | Flickr
