Posted on 06/17/2026 11:06:51 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
More than three weeks after an apparent bear killed a 33-year-old hiker in Glacier National Park, questions continue to linger about what wildlife officials called a “stunningly rare” incident. At the top of the list, wildlife experts are trying to assess what triggered the possible conflict, which could affect what happens to the bear involved, if anything.
Anthony Pollio of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was reported missing May 4 after he didn’t return from a hike on the west side of Glacier Park the previous day. Two days later, his remains were discovered about 50 feet off the Mt. Brown Trail in a heavily forested area east of Lake McDonald. A can of bear spray was found near the scene. But wildlife experts have not been able to determine whether the canister belonged to Pollio or whether it had been deployed, according to Autumn Sifuentes, a spokesperson for the National Park Service.
As of Friday, trails east of Lake McDonald, where the attack is thought to have happened, remain closed. While Pollio’s injuries appeared consistent with a bear attack, park officials have yet to identify the bear that could have been involved or its current whereabouts.
If a bear attacks a person, it’s up to people like Erik Wenum, a bear and lion specialist with more than 30 years of experience at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, to figure out what happened. Wenum said he was involved with the investigation into the recent fatality in Glacier Park, but that he could not comment on an ongoing inquiry. What he could do, however, is discuss what those investigations look like. “We’re trying to figure out the who, the how and the why,” he said during an interview.
(Excerpt) Read more at cdapress.com ...
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A bit more from the article...
Officials say that bear attacks in Glacier and elsewhere around Montana are rare. Since 1967, there have been 10 fatal bear encounters in the national park, the most recent occurring in 1998, when a man was killed while hiking the Scenic Point Trail in the Two Medicine Valley. The most infamous was in August 1967, when two different bears killed two different women on the same night, miles apart from each other. Outside Glacier, there have been more recent fatalities in northwest Montana. In 2021, a 64-year-old woman was dragged from her tent and fatally mauled while camping near Ovando. And in 2016, an off-duty U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer was killed by a grizzly while biking near West Glacier.
A hiking trip in Montana’s Glacier National Park turned into a nightmare when a grizzly bear mauled and dragged a California man after a sudden encounter on a popular trail. Daniel Crago, 32, was nearing the end of a hike on the Grinnell Glacier Trail on May 28 when he spotted what appeared to be a small bear. Moments later, he realized a much larger grizzly was just yards away on the mountainside above him. Before he could reach his bear spray, the animal charged. The bear clamped onto Crago’s right arm and dragged him an estimated 20 to 30 feet before releasing him. Other hikers rushed to assist, with one doctor applying a tourniquet while others called for emergency help and tried to keep the bear at a distance. Crago was airlifted to a hospital and has since undergone multiple surgeries. Park officials believe loud rushing water may have prevented both the hiker and the bear from noticing each other before the attack. Several nearby areas remain closed because of heightened bear activity.
July 18, 2026. A 72-year-old man was attacked while picking huckleberries and shot the bear in self-defense. He was hospitalized with significant injuries.
June 12, 2026. A hunter was attacked while off-trail and was bitten multiple times before being rescued. He was airlifted to safety in stable condition.
Find the bear and exterminate him.
A can of bear spray was found near the scene......Ping!..............
An apparent bear? Was this another kind of animal that just identifies as a bear, or perhaps the bear may identify as something else and they don't want to offend it?
The bears are becoming more dangerous because of climate change!!
LOL...you’ve gone “Full Woke” on us!!
“A can of bear spray was found near the scene.” Maybe the bear didn’t like the bear spray.
I’ve hiked the Grinnell glacier trail several times (better do your cardio before you visit, trust me), and I can well believe it. I’ve seen people step over the little yellow ribbons that say “Trail closed - bear activity” like it didn’t apply to them. SMH.
A big brown bear walks into a bar and says to the bartender “I’ll have a beef and bacon burger and a bottle of bourbon”. The bartender says “We don’t serve big brown bears that asks for a beef and bacon burger and a bottle of bourbon”. The bear leaves.
The next day the big brown bear walks into the bar and says to the bartender “I’ll have a beef and bacon burger and a bottle of bourbon”. The bartender says “We don’t serve big brown bears that asks for a beef and bacon burger and a bottle of bourbon”. The bear leaves.
The next day the big brown bear walks into the bar and says to the bartender “I’ll have a beef and bacon burger and a bottle of bourbon!!!”. The bartender says “I told you yesterday, I told you the day before that, we don’t serve big brown bears that asks for a beef and bacon burger and a bottle of bourbon!!”. The bear leaves.
The next day the big brown bear walks into the bar, bypasses the bartender and asks the barmaid “I’ll have a beef and bacon burger and a bottle of bourbon”. The barmaid says “We don’t serve big brown bears that asks for a beef and bacon burger and a bottle of bourbon”. The bear eats her, then turns to the bartender and roars “I’LL HAVE A BEEF AND BACON BURGER AND A BOTTLE OF BOURBON”. The bartender says we don’t serve big brown bears that ask for a beef and bacon burger and a bottle of bourbon... We don’t serve drug users either.
Perplexed the bear says “drug users, what are you talking about”?
The bartender says “that’s a barbiturate”
Check your stories I believe you have the dates wrong
Okay, I am saving that!
Now, I know this is a tragedy, so I won’t post my favorite bear joke here on this thread...I will Freepmail you with it...my funny bone gets the best of my judgement sometimes.
Just don’t go where the bears are...
I always hike in bear country with Mr Ruger.
The joke you sent me was pretty good.
I really wanted to post it... but I have had my hand justly slapped a few times, and I try to keep in mind these are real people whose lives came to my personal attention by the power of the Internet, and I haven’t handled it well on occasion.
I just forget sometimes there is a real live human on the other end who had a life and was loved...sometimes.
By the way I don’t condemn you in any way, but this is on me...
Dark humor. LOL.
Almost as good as this quote
“More than three weeks after an apparent bear killed a 33-year-old hiker”
What’s an “apparent bear”? Are there bear trannies?
Its a bear or it isn’t
No worries , he is just “an apparent bear”.
Years ago, while camping in Glacier, I had to put on 3 layers of clothes and crawl in my sleeping bag to warm up. It was cold, and I wasn’t ready for it in June.
Or, it was a MAMA bear!
Yeah, he wanted “Eau de Griz”, not some foo-foo girly spray.
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