A passionate outdoorsman has tragically lost his life in what appears to be a bear attack in Glacier National Park, Montana. His family suspects he was hiking to a fire lookout tower to enjoy the sunset at the time of the incident.
Anthony Pollio, a 33-year-old from Florida, didn’t return from his hike on Sunday. He was also unable to reach out to his family during the trip. His vehicle was later located near Lake McDonald Lodge.
Search and rescue teams later found Pollio’s body, which showed signs of injuries consistent with a bear attack.
The discovery was made on Wednesday afternoon in a forested area approximately 2.5 miles up the Mount Brown Trail.
While officials have yet to confirm the hiker’s identity, his family has identified him as Pollio.
According to his father, Arthur, Pollio was “fearless” and had extensive experience in the outdoors, describing him as “an experienced hunter” who was “smart and educated.”
Pollio’s brother, Nicholas, mentioned that he might have decided at the last minute to take the Mount Brown Trail down to catch the sunset from the fire tower.
Arthur believes his son encountered a grizzly bear and, in a bid to defend himself, used bear spray. He speculates that Pollio attempted to escape when the bear chased him, grabbing him by the shoulder.
Arthur underlines the presence of the bear spray found near the scene as compelling evidence supporting this account.
“He was an educated man and the bear attacked him and killed him,” Arthur stated.
In 1998, there was another fatal bear attack in Glacier National Park, much further away in the Two Medicine Valley, about an hour and a half’s drive from where Pollio went missing.
However, the last noted bear-related injury in Glacier took place as recently as August 2025.
Glacier National Park is home to bears that can show aggressive behavior, and they are occasionally involved in attacks on humans. To safeguard the public, problematic bears may be euthanized, following the park’s management plan prioritizing human safety when bears pose a significant risk.
In a separate incident earlier this week, two hikers were seriously injured in another bear attack in nearby Yellowstone National Park.
