Overview
- Investigators concluded that 33-year-old Anthony Pollio was killed after he surprised an adult male grizzly on the Mount Brown Lookout Trail on May 3, according to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee report.
- The report reconstructs the encounter as brief and intense, saying Pollio tumbled about 93 feet down a steep slope, climbed roughly 18 feet back up, and was then reengaged and fatally injured by the bear.
- Pollio fully discharged a can of bear spray during the initial contact but investigators could not determine whether the spray struck the bear or altered the outcome.
- The bear appears to be a long‑term resident of the park with no prior conflict history, and wildlife management guidance says defensive, surprise attacks do not automatically trigger removal of the animal.
- The July report has renewed public attention to basic bear-safety practices and prompted calls from some groups for policies to encourage or require hikers and hunters to carry readily accessible bear spray.