Report on man killed by Glacier National Park grizzly contains disturbing new details

A surprise nighttime encounter with a grizzly bear led to the death of Anthony Pollio in Glacier National Park this spring, according to a new report containing previously undisclosed details of the attack.

Compiled by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, the board of review report describes how evidence at the scene helped investigators reconstruct what led to the incident on May 3. "The attack was likely brief and intense and not prolonged," the report reads. 

More National Parks

- A man went over Yosemite's Nevada Fall. A stranger tried to save him.

- Time is running out to visit Olympic National Park's best coastal hike

- Kids were allegedly poisoned in Yellowstone. The park says it isn't responsible.

We love national parks just as much as you do, so we have a newsletter that covers them from top to bottom. Sign up here.

Members of the review board included bear experts from state and federal wildlife agencies, as well as Glacier National Park's carnivore biologist and chief ranger. A report is required after any human fatality caused by a grizzly bear. 

Pollio, a 33-year-old man from Florida, was hiking the Mount Brown Lookout trail, one of the steepest in the park, alone. According to messages with friends and family sent before the attack, he planned to hike to the lookout and watch the sunset.

Investigators believe he was descending the trail, known for its jigsaw of standing and dead trees, in the dark around 9:30 p.m. "Darkness and deadfall on the trail would have prevented the bear and Mr. Pollio from seeing each other until they were very close," the report reads. 

It's unknown if Pollio was making noise or if he was using his cellphone as a flashlight when the bear, a male grizzly thought to be at least 15 years old, charged.

The report confirmed that Pollio was able to deploy a full can of bear spray. However, it's unknown if the spray made contact with the bear. The bear killed Pollio via injuries to his head after a short pursuit. Search and rescue teams found the bear spray in the bushes just off the trail before finding Pollio's remains. 

DNA from bear hair and bear scat collected at the scene matched a grizzly bear with no previous history of human conflict, aggression or capture, described as a "life-long resident of the park." Investigators found no evidence of predation or caching at the scene, and no bears were found in the area during the search or investigation process. 

Glacier National Park did not immediately respond to questions regarding whether any management action was taken, or will be taken, against the bear. 

Bear experts made numerous recommendations for future hikers to avoid similar surprise encounters with bears. That includes making noise by talking, clapping or singing, which is "critical when visibility and hearing are limited." Traveling in a group is always recommended, as "groups of people are usually noisier and less likely to surprise bears." Experts also suggest not traveling when bears are most active at night, dawn or dusk. 

Read this story on sfgate.com