In an unfortunate incident, a tourist camping out to watch today's solar eclipse in Svalbard was mauled by a polar bear while he was asleep in his tent.

The victim, Jakub Moravec from the Czech Republic survived Thursday's attack with some scratches and minor injuries and reported on his ordeal from the hospital. Moravec says he's fine now but sustained scratches on the face, one arm and the back of his body, he told the local Svalbardposten newspaper.

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Moravec was with a group of six people enjoying a ski trip and an offroad snow scooter journey on the remote islands some 500 miles north from the Norwegian mainland in Fredheim on Spitsbergen island in the Svalbard archipelago.

The polar bear attack occurred while Moravec was near the tent of fellow travelers Zuzana Hakova who was sleeping in another tent. Hakova reported her mother shot at the animal three times as it escaped from their campsite. The polar bear was later found and was put down by local authorities.

Apart from Moravec, no one else was injured in the attack that occurred in the northern main town of Longyearbyen.

Svalbard is located in the Arctic Ocean and many tourists flocked to the region for promising incredible views of the total eclipse today, March 20.

Hotels and other lodgings and accommodations were also sold out for years ahead of this extremely rare astronomical event. Some visitors even resorted to camping out in the freezing cold despite authorities warning these tourists of dangerous, roaming polar bears.

Authorities also warned that when moving out of settlements, persons should bring weapons such as guns for protection against wildlife. Many signs are posted around the area warning of polar bears.

This attack was the latest among a series of unfortunate events involving polar bears against humans. Authorities believe these attacks are caused by hungry animals in search of food or defending their territories, sensing humans as a threat to their homes.

In August 2011, an emaciated polar bear attacked a group of school children from the British Schools Exploring Society camping in Svalbard. The bear killed 17 year-old Horatio Chapple, a student from Eton College.

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