As much as I know, the bear was unusually thin, therefore hungry, and aggressive. The guy who was attacked and his buddy who saved his life, were seen about a week later in the Longyearbyen Disco, being the attraction of the night:) Girls loved them, so I was told by friends who were in that disco.
What is still not clear is the fact that their trip wire fence didn't go off when the baer approached the tent. Several possibilities: the bear saw the fence and stepped carefully over it (yes these guys are extremely intellegent!); they forgot to activate the fence, or the fence was faulty and dind't work at all.
I spend 10 weeks this summer in Svalbard...