Florida Hiker Found Dead After Apparent Bear Attack in Glacier National Park

The body of a missing hiker was found in Glacier National Park last week in what authorities say appears to be the park’s first fatal bear attack since 1998.

This is the second known attack by a bear in a National Park in the same week.

Anthony Pollio, 33, of Davie, Florida, was found dead at about noon on Wednesday, May 6, in a densely wooded area about 50 feet off the Mt. Brown Trail, according to the National Park Service. Search and rescue crews had been looking for Pollio after he was reported missing on May 4.

“His injuries are consistent with those sustained by a bear encounter,” the National Park Service said in a May 7 statement.

Pollio’s personal items were found along the Mt. Brown Trail about 2.5 miles from the trailhead. That discovery prompted search crews to focus on the surrounding area, where they later found his body.

The section of trail where the incident occurred, along with all trails leading from Lake McDonald Lodge, has been temporarily closed while park staff works to determine next steps based on wildlife behavior monitoring.

*Forest Trail near Lake McDonalds. Photo: NPS*

Authorities Say It Was Likely a Surprise Encounter

The sequence of events leading up to the bear encounter remain under investigation; however, officials say evidence suggests it was a surprise encounter.

Park authorities have not said what type of bear may have been involved in Pollio’s death. Glacier National Park is home to both grizzly bears and black bears.

According to reporting from South Florida media, Pollio was an experienced outdoorsman and hunter who had been on a two-week road trip with a friend. His father, Arthur Pollio, told NBC Miami that his son had been visiting Glacier National Park when he went missing.

Glacier Warns Visitors to Stay Bear Aware

During the spring season and early summer, bear activity increases. The park advises visitors to make noise on trails, hike in groups when possible, carry bear spray, and know how to respond in the event of an encounter.

Last August, a 34-year-old hiker was injured by a bear in Glacier’s backcountry. Park officials said at the time that the bear was accompanied by two cubs and was likely startled, prompting a defensive reaction.