Glacier National Park bear encounter found

A missing-hiker case in Glacier National Park has turned into something darker — and much rarer. Search crews found Anthony Pollio, a 33-year-old from Fort Lauderdale, dead on May 6 near the Mt. Brown Trail above Lake McDonald. Park officials say the injuries they found are consistent with a bear encounter, but the investigation is still open. ### Who was the hiker? Pollio had been hiking alone in the Lake McDonald area. He was believed to be heading toward the Mount Brown Fire Lookout, a steep route that starts near Lake McDonald Lodge and climbs more than 4,000 vertical feet on a roughly 10-mile out-and-back trip. His last known message was sent around 8:20 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, and the park was notified the next afternoon when he did not return. (nps.gov) ### Where was he found? Search and rescue crews located his body at about noon on Wednesday, May 6. The site was about 2.5 miles up the Mt. Brown Trail and roughly 50 feet off the trail in dense woods with downed timber. That detail matters because thick brush and deadfall are exactly the kind of terrain where visibility drops and surprise wildlife encounters get more dangerous fast. (flatheadbeacon.com) ### Why do officials think a bear was involved? The key phrase from the park is that Pollio’s injuries are “consistent with” a bear encounter. That is not the same thing as a final ruling, and officials have been careful about that. Wildlife staff and law enforcement were sent in to assess bear activity in the area and figure out whether there was any continuing danger to the public. (nps.gov) ### How unusual is this? Very unusual. Glacier says the last human fatality caused by a bear in the park was in 1998. The last time a bear injured a person there was August 2025. So bear encounters are a real part of Glacier travel, but fatal ones inside the park are rare enough that this immediately became a major safety event. (nps.gov) ### What changed in the park right away? The park closed the section of trail where the incident happened while investigators worked the area. The trail-status page now shows a wider cluster of closures and postings around Mt. Brown, Sperry, Snyder Lake, Lincoln Lake, and Gunsight Pass because of bear activity. In plain English — this is not just one taped-off patch of trail. It has ripple effects across a popular hiking zone above Lake McDonald. (nps.gov) ### Why is Glacier so sensitive to this risk? Because Glacier is serious bear country. The park says the ecosystem supports nearly 1,000 bears, including both black bears and grizzlies. Visitors are supposed to stay at least 100 yards from bears, make noise while hiking, and avoid traveling alone when possible. One striking stat from the park: it says there have been no reported attacks on groups of four or more in Glacier. (nps.gov) ### Why does early season matter? May is awkward in Glacier. Lower trails can be muddy and wet, higher terrain can still hold snow, and route conditions change day to day. That means hikers can get pushed into slower travel, later finishes, and more time moving through brushy or quiet stretches when visibility is bad. The catch is that wildlife is active then too. (nps.gov) ### What’s the bottom line? This is still an active investigation, not a closed case. But the basic picture is already clear — a solo hiker disappeared on a steep Glacier route, search crews found him dead, and the evidence points toward a bear encounter. For anyone heading into Glacier this spring, that turns bear safety from background advice into the main thing. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2)