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A newly released investigation into the death of a Florida man in Glacier National Park has revealed how officials believe a fatal bear encounter unfolded.
Anthony Pollio, 33, of Davie, Florida, was killed on the Mt. Brown Lookout trail on Sunday, May 3, 2026, during a multiday road trip across the United States. Glacier National Park, a one-million-acre protected area in northwestern Montana, is widely known for its population of grizzly bears, with black bears also present in the area.
The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) said evidence from the scene confirmed that an adult male grizzly bear was responsible for the fatal attack.
Pollio entered the park on May 3 and drove to Lake McDonald Lodge before deciding to hike 5.1 miles to the Mt. Brown Lookout. He had planned to watch the sunset from the lookout, return to his vehicle and then find a camping spot in the park.
Final Hours Before Fatal Bear Attack
Pollio began hiking the Mt. Brown Lookout trail at approximately 6:30 p.m. and remained intermittently in contact with family and friends using his phone during his ascent.
Shortly after he began ascending, he left a voicemail for his father saying he was hiking toward a lookout. His final known communication came at 8:20 p.m., when he sent a text message to his girlfriend saying he had “climbed over 2,000 ft and 3 miles” and had “2,400 ft to gain.”
Investigators said the distances and elevation figures in the message did not match exactly, but estimated Pollio was approximately 0.9 miles above the location where his remains were later found.
Pollio intended to continue climbing to the lookout before returning down the trail in darkness. Sunset occurred at 8:49 p.m., with last light at 9:24 p.m.
Investigators estimated that Pollio encountered the bear while descending the mountain at around 9:30 p.m., although the exact time of his death could not be determined. The report said the most likely window for the fatal attack was between 9:15 p.m. and 10 p.m.
The report found that Pollio most likely surprised the bear at close quarters in the waning light. Investigators said fallen trees and poor lighting would likely have obscured the animal as Pollio moved along the trail.
After the initial encounter, investigators determined that Pollio fell or was thrown downhill during the attack. His personal belongings were found scattered down the slope.
Blood evidence indicated that the attack continued downhill, with blood spatters increasing in frequency and volume toward where Pollio was ultimately found lying on his back with his head upslope, approximately 69 feet below the trail.
Investigators said it appeared Pollio managed to move approximately 18 feet back upslope before the bear reengaged and inflicted the fatal injuries.
He was found with extensive trauma to the head and face, including damage to facial tissue and underlying bone. The report also noted a possible shallow claw mark across his neck and numerous bite marks on his torso and thighs.
A searcher discovered a can of bear spray in brush near the trail before locating Pollio’s remains. The bear spray had been fully discharged.
Timeline
- May 3, 2026, 4:45 p.m.: Pollio arrives at Glacier National Park.
- May 3, 2026, 6:30 p.m.: Pollio begins hiking the Mt. Brown Lookout trail after driving to Lake McDonald Lodge.
- May 3, 2026, 6:48 p.m.: Pollio leaves a voicemail for his father saying he is hiking toward a lookout.
- May 3, 2026, 8:20 p.m.: Pollio sends his final known text message to his girlfriend, saying he has climbed more than 2,000 feet and intends to continue to the lookout before returning later that night.
- May 3, 2026, around 9:30 p.m.: Investigators estimate Pollio encounters the grizzly bear while descending the trail and is fatally attacked.
- May 4, 2026, 2:19 p.m.: Glacier Park Dispatch receives a report from Pollio’s father that his son has not communicated since beginning his hike.
- May 4, 2026, 3:30 p.m.: Search teams begin looking for Pollio, initially checking multiple lookout trails because his route was unclear.
- May 4, 2026, 4:28 p.m.: Rangers locate Pollio’s rental car at the Mt. Brown trailhead and focus the search in that area.
- May 5, 2026: Additional search resources are deployed, including personnel from North Valley Search and Rescue, Flathead County, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey and aircraft from multiple agencies.
- May 6, 2026, 12:10 p.m.: Searchers discover Pollio’s remains approximately 2.5 miles from the trailhead and 69 feet below the Mt. Brown trail.
Calls to End Grizzly Bear Protections
Earlier this year, following the bear attacks on Pollio and another hiker in a separate incident in Yellowstone National Park, Representative Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican, called for environmental protections of grizzly bears to end.
Grizzly bears were designated as a threatened species in 1975 after their numbers in the lower 48 states declined significantly due to hunting, habitat loss and expanding human development. At the time, grizzlies occupied less than 2 percent of their historic range in the contiguous United States. They are currently listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).
“Last week, two grizzly bear attacks claimed the life of a hiker in Glacier National Park and seriously injured two others in Yellowstone National Park,” Zinke wrote on X in May. “These tragedies are a sobering reminder that grizzly bear populations have recovered well beyond sustainable levels, and it is past time for the federal government to delist them and give states the management tools they need to protect both people and wildlife. Delist the grizzly.”
Fatal bear attacks in the United States are uncommon and are typically associated with particular circumstances, such as bears being surprised by people or animals becoming habituated to human food sources. Wildlife officials commonly recommend preventive measures in bear country, including storing food properly, keeping dogs on leashes and carrying bear spray in areas where encounters may occur.
A 2023 Congressional Research Service report estimated that, as of 2021, the U.S. grizzly bear population included about 1,095 bears in Montana’s Northern Continental Divide ecosystem and roughly 727 bears in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, which spans parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Smaller populations remain in other northern areas.
Delisting
Protections under the ESA include bans on harming or killing listed animals, the designation of critical habitat, recovery planning requirements and federal review of projects that could affect a species’ survival or environment.
In January 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected petitions from Montana and Wyoming seeking to remove federal protections for grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems.
The agency said both populations had achieved recovery goals but determined they would remain protected under the Endangered Species Act.
If grizzlies were delisted, management authority would shift primarily from federal agencies to states with bear populations, including Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Those states would then oversee population management, conservation strategies and any future policies governing the species.
A population of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone region was previously removed from federal protections in 2017 during the first Trump administration. However, a federal court restored those protections in 2018 after challenges were brought by Native American tribes and environmental organizations.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Sam Wilson.
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