A Fort Lauderdale man who went lacking Sunday night was discovered useless Wednesday inside Glacier Nationwide Park, his accidents pointing to a deadly bear encounter — what can be the primary bear-caused human loss of life within the park since 1998.
Anthony Pollio, 33, was reported lacking Monday after he didn’t return from a hike on the west facet of the park. His final recognized contact was Sunday at roughly 8:20 PM, when he messaged somebody that he was climbing towards the Mt. Brown Hearth Lookout. His automotive was later discovered close to Lake McDonald Lodge.
Rangers found Pollio’s stays on Wednesday round midday, about 2.5 miles up the Mt. Brown Path and roughly 50 toes off the trail in a densely wooded space with downed timber. The Nationwide Park Service stated his accidents have been “in keeping with these sustained by a bear encounter,” including that wildlife and legislation enforcement personnel are at the moment assessing the realm for bear exercise and any ongoing public security issues.
A Difficult Path in Prime Bear Territory
The Mt. Brown Hearth Lookout isn’t any informal day hike. The trek entails a 10-mile out-and-back journey ascending greater than 4,000 toes, with quite a few switchbacks and blind corners that might result in shock wildlife encounters. The route passes by way of dense forest on the west facet of Lake McDonald — prime grizzly habitat, particularly in spring when sows emerge from hibernation with cubs and are fiercely defensive.
Sow grizzlies with cubs often emerge from hibernation in late April and are fiercely protecting of their younger, prepared to assault with little to no provocation — which might result in severe and probably deadly assaults on people in spring and early summer season.
A number of Trails Closed Proper Now
That is an lively security scenario. Trails on the west facet of Lake McDonald — together with these to the Mt. Brown Lookout, Snyder Lake Campground, Sperry Chalet, and Lincoln Lake Campground — are closed whereas rangers assess the realm for bear exercise. All trails starting on the Sperry Trailhead at Lake McDonald Lodge are additionally shut down.
When you’ve got any plans to hike within the Lake McDonald space, examine the park’s Path Standing Experiences web page earlier than heading out. These closures are lively as of this morning.
The Second Nationwide Park Bear Assault in 5 Days
This isn’t an remoted incident. Two hikers have been injured in a bear assault at Yellowstone Nationwide Park on Monday afternoon on the Mystic Falls Path close to Outdated Devoted. The 2 hikers “sustained accidents by a number of bears,” the park service stated.
A Maryland hiker stumbled onto that scene after recognizing bear prints within the mud, then a bloody hat and a torn watch, earlier than reaching one of many wounded males. The sufferer was airlifted out with severe wounds. Two severe bear assaults at two iconic nationwide parks in 5 days is extraordinary — and a direct warning for the hundreds of thousands of Individuals with summer season park journeys booked.
The final human fatality attributable to a bear in Glacier Nationwide Park occurred in 1998 within the Two Medication Valley. A bear final injured a human within the park in August 2025.
What Each Hiker Should Know Earlier than Getting into Bear Nation
Carry bear spray and hold it accessible — not buried in your pack. Follow drawing it earlier than you hit the path.
Make noise continually. Speak loudly, clap, shout “hey bear” on blind corners. Most encounters occur as a result of a bear was stunned.
By no means hike alone. Pollio was climbing solo on a distant, high-elevation path. The park reminds guests to remain at the least 100 yards from bears and journey in teams each time doable.
Inform somebody your actual plan and a check-in time. Pollio’s final message was Sunday at 8:20 PM. A particular check-in deadline with somebody who would act on it might have activated a sooner response.
Keep away from blind corners at daybreak and nightfall. Look ahead to contemporary tracks, scat, dug-up soil, rolled rocks, torn logs, and ripped-open anthills — all indicators of latest bear exercise.
Glacier Nationwide Park stays open with a whole lot of miles of accessible trails. However spring is the highest-risk season for bear encounters, and this week is a pointy reminder that preparation isn’t non-obligatory in bear nation.
Sources: Nationwide Park Service (Could 7–8, 2026) · Montana Free Press · Flathead Beacon · Each day Inter Lake · CBS Information · ABC Information · Cowboy State Each day
