Anthony Pollio, 33, was described by his family as a “very smart, fearless man”.
Glacier, Montana — Hiker found dead The man who suffered a suspected bear attack in Montana’s Glacier National Park has been identified as 33-year-old Florida man Anthony Pollio.
Pollio disappeared after hiking in the national park on May 3 and was found three days later with “injuries consistent with a bear encounter.” the National Park Service said in a statement.
“Anthony was a fearless man,” father Arthur Pollio told WPLG. “He’s a seasoned hunter. Experienced. Educated. Very smart.”
The National Park Service is still investigating what led to the attack, but said evidence suggests it was an “accidental encounter.”
“The bear attacked him and killed him,” Arthur Pollio said.
Arthur Pollio told sun sentinel Anthony left him a voicemail shortly before the attack.
“He said, ‘Dad, I’m climbing a mountain. It’s desolate here,'” he told wxya. “He said, ‘I love you, dad,’ and that was the last message I received from him.”
The incident marked Glacier National Park’s first fatal bear-related death since 1998, when a person was killed in Two Medicine Valley. The last reported bear injury in the park occurred in August 2025.
Glacier National Park is home to approximately 1,000 bears, including black bears and grizzly bears. Park officials estimate that by 2023, there will be about 300 grizzly bears living in the park. According to NBC News.
The National Park Service said the section of the Mt. Brown Trail leading to the Mt. Brown Fire Lookout where the incident occurred has been temporarily closed while the investigation continues. Additional information, including any recent information about the bear, was not immediately known.
