Glacier Park officials: Bear spray found near body of dead hiker
A grizzly bear roams near Beaver Lake in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming in this 2019 file photo. (Jim Urquhart/Associated Press)
Search crews found a can of bear spray near where a Florida man was killed in an apparent bear attack in Glacier National Park earlier this month.
The suspected attack near Mount Brown, which left 33-year-old Anthony Pollio dead, remains under investigation, park officials said this week. Authorities are still determining whether the bear spray belonged to Pollio as well as the “circumstances surrounding its use,” said spokesperson Autumn Sifuentes.
Search and rescue crews discovered Pollio’s body, which displayed wounds consistent with a bear attack, about 50 feet off the Mount Brown Trail after he went missing while hiking on May 3. Evidence at the scene points to a surprise encounter, Sifuentes said.
Pollio’s father, Arthur Pollio, told several Florida news outlets that the coroner’s report suggested his son encountered a grizzly bear while hiking the Mount Brown Trail on May 3. He believes Pollio deployed a can of bear spray during the encounter as officials indicated to him the area was very odorous when Pollio's body was discovered days later.
Sifuentes, though, said that the species of bear involved in the encounter remains undetermined.
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.
Park officials have historically killed bears suspected of being involved in fatal encounters with humans, unless it is deemed a defensive response. Sifuentes did not respond to a question about whether officials intended to kill the bear involved in the encounter with Pollio.
The park has received no reports this season of bears exhibiting unusual behavior, though Sifuentes noted that bear activity tends to increase going into summer. She suggested park visitors continue to follow typical bear safety precautions, including hiking in groups, making noise, properly securing food and garbage, and carrying bear spray.
The Sperry Trailhead remains closed as officials monitor bears in the area. Sifuentes said there is no estimated timeframe for the trails’ reopening.
Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 406-758-4433 or hsmalley@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.