Glacier’s first fatal bear attack in almost 30 years came after surprise encounter

A Florida man was hiking after dark in Glacier National Park in early May when he surprised a grizzly bear, leading to the first fatal bear attack in the park since 1998. Those are the findings of a new report issued this week by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee Board of Review, a board of state and federal bear experts convened to investigate the “stunningly rare” attack earlier this year.

Anthony Pollio of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was killed on the Mt. Brown Trail on the west side of Glacier Park. He was reported missing on May 4, and his remains were found two days later. 

Pollio had been texting with friends and family during his hike on the evening of Sunday, May 3. His last known communication was with his girlfriend at 8:20 p.m., where he indicated that he had “climbed over 2,000 ft and 3 miles” and that he had “2,400 ft to gain.” Based on that information and where his body was found, investigators believe he had most likely gotten near the summit of Mt. Brown before turning around, and that he was hiking back down the mountain after sunset when he was attacked. Officials believe Pollio was attacked sometime between 9:15 and 10 p.m. that night. 

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While Pollio’s injuries appeared consistent with a bear attack, Glacier National Park officials have yet to identify the bear that could have been involved, or its current whereabouts. If a bear attacks a person, it’s up to people like Erik Wenum, a bear and lion specialist with more than 30 years of experience at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, to figure out what happened. “We’re trying to figure out the who, the how, and the why,” Wenum said.

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At the time of the attack, the Mt. Brown Trail had numerous downed trees on it that had been blown over the previous winter. Investigators said that those elements, combined with it being after sunset, meant that Pollio and the bear likely did not see each other until they were very close. Investigators said Pollio was able to fire off a can of bear spray before falling off the trail. Pollio tumbled down the side of a hill, during which investigators said the bear most likely continued to attack him. Based on blood and other evidence at the scene, Pollio fell 93 feet down the slope. The bear then broke off the attack, and Pollio began to climb back up the slope, getting about 18 feet uphill before the animal returned and bit him in the head. Investigators concluded that the final attack was what killed Pollio. The bear left the area soon after, according to wildlife investigators.

Investigators surmised that, “Mr. Pollio appears to have been the victim of a defensive attack by a surprised grizzly bear.” The bear was never found, but DNA evidence collected from hair left behind suggests that it was at least 15 years old and most likely had lived in and around Glacier Park its entire life. Because it was most likely a surprise attack, as opposed to a stalking attack, wildlife management protocol directs that the bear does not need to be captured and euthanized. 

Officials with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks say that bear attacks in Glacier and elsewhere around Montana are rare. Since 1967, there have been ten fatal bear encounters in the national park, the most recent occurring in 1998, when a man was killed while hiking the Scenic Point Trail in the Two Medicine Valley. The most infamous was in August 1967, when two different bears killed two different women on the same night, miles apart from each other. Outside of Glacier, there have been more recent fatalities in northwest Montana. In 2021, a 64-year-old woman was dragged from her tent and fatally mauled while camping near Ovando. And in 2016, an off-duty U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer was killed by a grizzly while biking near West Glacier. 

At the conclusion of the report into May’s fatal bear attack, investigators made a series of recommendations to the public on how to avoid surprise encounters with bears. Those directions include staying alert when in bear country, especially when visibility is limited. Making noise while hiking, like talking, singing or clapping, is also recommended. Recreators should travel in groups and carry bear spray, and perhaps most importantly, avoid hiking at night. 

If a bear charges, people are encouraged to deploy bear spray and go face down on the ground, covering their neck and head as much as possible.