Officials confirmed that the Florida man found dead in Glacier National Park earlier this year died from “crushing bites to the head” inflicted by an adult male grizzly bear.

Evidence from the scene, including blood splatter, bone fragments and discarded personal items, suggest that Anthony Pollio, 33, surprised the bear while descending the Mount Brown Trail sometime after 9:30 pm on May 3. 

“Darkness and deadfall on the trail would have prevented the bear and Mr. Pollio from seeing each other until they were very close,” investigators concluded in a report released by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee on July 20. “The attack was likely brief and intense and not prolonged. There was no consumption or caching of the victim by the bear ... Mr. Pollio appears to have been the victim of a defensive attack by a surprised grizzly bear.” 

Pollio was first reported missing to park officials just after 2 p.m. on Monday, May 4. His last known communication was a text message sent to his girlfriend at 8:20 p.m., May 3, in which he relayed plans to watch the sunset at the Mount Brown Lookout before descending the trail in the dark. At the time, Pollio estimated he had hiked about 3 miles up the trail.  

A search team discovered Pollio’s body around noon on Wednesday, May 6, about 2.3 miles from the Sperry Trailhead and about 69 feet below the Mount Brown Trail. 

Several trees had fallen across the trail, and investigators concluded that Pollio likely veered into the brush to avoid the obstruction. In the dark and amidst the debris, he startled a lone male grizzly bear. 

Investigators pinpointed the start of the attack to a site about 23 feet downhill from the trail, where they documented claw marks on a burnt tree and a large rock that had been recently displaced. A fully discharged canister of bear spray was located nearby, but investigators were unable to conclude whether the spray hit the bear. 

During the attack, Pollio fell about 70 feet farther down the slope. Investigators documented increasing blood splatter downslope moving downhill from the initial attack site. Pollio’s severed ear and several of his belongings including a gray beanie, a closed pocketknife and a phone and charging bank, were also scattered along the slope. 

At some point, the bear broke off the attack, and Pollio managed to climb about 18 feet back uphill, “at which point the bear re-engaged and inflicted the fatal bites to Mr. Pollio’s head,” wrote investigators. 

Pollio’s injuries were concentrated on the left side of his head and face. 

“Significant structural damage was present, including the loss of portions of facial tissue and underlying bone...The damage exposed internal structures of the skull, indicating the force of the incident,” the report reads. 

Investigators also noted a shallow slash mark on Pollio’s neck and several bite marks on his torso and thighs. There were no defensive wounds on Pollio’s hands. The family declined a full autopsy. 

Investigators found no evidence of predation. Pollio’s body was fully clothed when found and “in a natural position,” according to the report, and the bear appeared to leave the area soon after the attack. 

DNA analysis matched hair and scat collected during the investigation to a male grizzly bear identified as #138239. Researchers previously collected the bear’s DNA during monitoring efforts in 2011. The bear has no known conflict history and appears to be a life-long resident of Glacier National Park, according to the report. 

There have been 10 other fatal bear attacks in Glacier National Park since 1967, all involving grizzly bears. The latest fatality occurred in 1998, when a lone hiker encountered a female grizzly bear and two yearlings on the Scenic Point Trail in Two Medicine Valley.   

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 406-758-4433 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.