SerpApi.Org
A hiker's fatal run-in with a grizzly in Glacier National Park appears to have been a brief, surprise clash in the dark with a bear that had never before caused trouble for humans, federal wildlife officials say. The May 6 death of 33-year-old Anthony Pollio, of Davie, Florida, is the park's first fatal bear attack in 28 years, per the Billings Gazette. Pollio set out alone in the evening of May 3 to hike to the Mount Brown Lookout to watch the sunset, park biologist John Waller told the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee this week.
Investigators believe Pollio was descending after nightfall without a flashlight when he and a male grizzly surprised each other. Evidence at the scene included claw marks, disturbed rocks indicating the bear had lunged, and an emptied can of bear spray, though it's unclear if the spray hit its target. Waller said the attack was "very short" and "quickly fatal," with no signs that Pollio was able to fight back.
An incident report from the IGBC indicated that Pollio died of bite marks to the head, per the Cowboy State Daily. A fellow hiker who was in the park at the time of the attack calls it a "nightmare scenario," noting that Pollio, who was said to be an experienced outdoorsman, likely didn't intend to get stuck hiking after dark but misjudged the time. Pollio's father tells NBC Miami that his son had been on a multistate road trip with a friend, and that one of his son's last texts to him was "Dad, I'm hiking up a mountain. It's wild out here," followed by "I love you."
"He was a warrior," says Arthur Pollio, adding to WPLG that his son was "fearless" and had "tons of experience" as a hunter. DNA shows the bear was a longtime resident of the park with no "record of conflict." Officials stressed that such incidents remain rare and reiterated standard advice: Hike in groups, talk or sing to make noise (but don't scream, which can startle bears), avoid hiking in the dark, and keep bear spray handy. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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