A man was brutally attacked and killed by a grizzly bear while on a hike, experts think.

18:09, Fri, Jul 24, 2026 Updated: 18:16, Fri, Jul 24, 2026

Brown bear

It is believed that a man was killed by a Grizzly Bear in Montana (Image: Getty)

A hiker has been discovered dead after what is believed to have been a savage grizzly bear attack in a national park. A large-scale search was launched after Anthony Pollio went missing while on a hike to watch the sunset.

Just days later the 33-year-old’s body was discovered near a trail with his ear found nearby. Experts believe he may have accidentally disturbed the animal, which launched a “brief and intense” attack, leaving Mr Pollio with extensive injuries to his head and face, as well as a slash mark on his neck and bite marks on his torso and legs.

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Morning fog and in Glacier National Park

A man was killed by a grizzly bear in Glacier National Park, it is thought (Image: Getty)

As reported by The Hill, the incident happened in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA, in early May this year.

The horrific incident would be the first fatal bear attack in the park since 1998 and happened only weeks before a Californian man survived a bear attack on a nearby trail.

Investigators say Mr Pollio, from Florida, was on a multi-day trip to the area and was hiking to Mt Brown Lookout to watch the sunset. On May 3 he texted his girlfriend and told her that he had climbed about 2,000 feet, with roughly another 2,4000 to go before he reached the lookout.

His body was discovered three days later and authorities also found claw marks on a burned tree, which they believe indicates a bear may have launched its attack from there.

Despite Mr Pollio using a can of bear spray investigators say it is likely the bear launched an initial attack, causing the hiker to fall down a slope.

At this point it is believed the bear waited for him to climb back up before killing him with “crushing bites to the head”.

DNA samples taken at the scene reveal the bear, which is at least 15 years old, is a life-long resident of the park and had not been involved in any other incidents of aggression towards people.

Hikers and visitors are urged to be careful in Glacier National Park, which has more than a dozen trails marked as having known bear activity.