A final report on a fatal grizzly bear mauling in Glacier National Park reveals more details on the May 3 death of Anthony Pollio.

Pollio, of Davies, Florida, was hiking back down the Mount Brown Lookout Trail at or near dark when he encountered male grizzly bear. 

“Mr. Pollio, while hiking alone, surprised an adult male grizzly bear on the Mount  Brown Lookout trail. Based on his last text message, trail condition and distances, he was most likely descending the trail in darkness. Darkness and deadfall on the trail would have prevented the bear and Mr. Pollio from seeing each other until they were very close. We don’t know if Mr. Pollio was making any noise. He may have been using his cell phone flashlight,” the investigation by Glacier National Park officials, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish Wildlife Parks concluded in a board of review report. 

“He started up the trail at approximately 6:30 p.m.,” the report noted. Mr. Pollio was intermittently communicating with family and friends via cell phone during his ascent to the lookout. His last known communication was at 8:20 p.m. wherein he indicated that he was still ascending the mountain. His stated intention was to watch the sunset from the lookout, then hike back down to his car and find a camping spot in the park. Mr. Pollio never returned and was reported to the park as an overdue hiker on the afternoon of Monday, May 4. An intensive search began that included ground and aerial searchers. At 12:10 pm on Wednesday, May 6, a search team discovered Mr. Pollio’s remains 69 feet below the Mount Brown trail approximately 2.5 miles from the trailhead,” the report said. 

Investigators don’t believe Pollio made it to the lookout. 

The report gave further details on the location and nature of the attack. 

“The attack appeared to have been initiated at a point 43 feet down-trail from a switch back on the Mount Brown trail approximately 2.3 miles from the Gunsight Pass trailhead at Lake McDonald Lodge. There were several downed trees across the trail below the switch back and the easiest way to navigate around them would have been to cut the switch back about 23 feet downhill. Claw marks on a burned tree and a displaced stone suggested that the bear launched its attack from this point. This is also where the discharged canister of bear spray was located.” 

While the bear spray was fully discharged, it wasn’t clear if it hit the bear. Investigators weighed the can and compared it to a new can to determine if it had been fully emptied. 

“Fallen trees and poor light would have probably obscured the bear. As the bear attacked, the victim fell or was thrown downhill. His path was littered with personal effects beginning 10 feet below the trail . We believe the bear followed Mr. Pollio downhill, continuing the attack. Spatters of blood increased in frequency and volume down the hill. Mr. Pollio’s ear was found approximately 40 feet downslope. A large pool of blood marked the limit of his descent 93 feet below the trail,” the report noted.  “Based on blood marks and the orientation of branches, it appears as though Mr. Pollio managed to climb back up slope approximately 18 feet at which point the bear re-engaged and inflicted the fatal bites to Mr. Pollio’s head.” 

No autopsy was completed at the request of the family. The bear did not feed on Pollio’s body or cache it. He suffered severe wounds to his head and face and numerous bites to his torso and arms. Pollio was wearing  hiking boots, jeans, a shirt, and an unzipped lightly insulated coat. He was also wearing a small water bladder-type backpack. 

By using DNA analysis of hair at the scene, the report also gave insight into the grizzly bear. 

“The laboratory identified with high confidence DNA from these samples as being from male grizzly bear #138239. This genome was in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem grizzly bear monitoring database having been previously detected in rub-tree samples obtained in 2011. (Ed. Note: In rub tree sampling, bears have certain trees they like to rub on. Barbed wire is then put on the trees and the hair is collected for analysis. The project was used to county grizzly bears across the NCDE, not just Glacier.)  This would make the bear at least 15 years old. His parents were also identified in a 2004 DNA survey. His father had a large home range stretching from Coal Creek east to Upper Two Medicine Lake. His mother lived in the area around Cutbank Pass. Neither had any history of conflict with people. Bear 138239 appears to be a life-long resident of the park and does not have a conflict history, capture history, or known history of aggression towards people,” the report noted. 

The report also mentioned grizzly bear sightings in the area in 2026 and in 2025. It noted there had only been one in 2026 and the species was unknown and out of the area, near Lake McDonald Lodge. 

In 2025 there were three reported grizzly bear sightings on the Mount Brown Trail. Two were a sow with cubs. The other a lone bear. None warranted any management action. 

Most of the grizzly bear sightings in 2025 were near and above the Sperry Chalet where the Gunsight Pass Trail goes over Lincoln Pass. 

The Mount Brown Trail is a spur trail off the Sperry/Gunsight Pass Trail. 

“The attack was likely brief and intense and not prolonged. There was no consumption or caching of the victim by the bear. There was no evidence that Mr. Pollio was fighting back. After the attack, the bear left the area. Mr. Pollio appears to have been the victim of a defensive attack by a surprised grizzly bear,” the report concluded. 

Pollio’s death marks the first fatal grizzly bear mauling in Glacier since 1998, though there have been numerous instances over the years of people being scratched and bitten and severely injured by grizzly bears.