What started as an evening walk through Yellowstone National Park ended in a terrifying attack when a massive bull bison charged a tourist and threw him several feet into the air.
The frightening encounter happened Friday at Bridge Bay Campground, leaving the unidentified man with significant injuries after witnesses said the animal hooked him with one of its horns before throwing him roughly eight feet into the air.
The dramatic incident was caught on camera by photographer Mike MacLeod, who was camping nearby when everything unfolded.
Video shows the man walking through the campground with his grandson while the bison suddenly became aggressive.
The man and his grandson tried to get out of the animal’s path, but the bison continued after them. While the grandson managed to escape, the older man was chased, and the bull finally caught up with him.
After throwing the tourist into the air, the bison remained nearby, prompting fears that the attack wasn’t over.
“I had to get the bison’s attention,” MacLeod told Cowboy State Daily, according to VT, explaining that he stopped filming, ran toward the animal and shouted in an effort to distract it.
Other people at the campground quickly joined in, and together they drove the bison away before emergency responders arrived.
Bison attack at Yellowstone National Park
Once the danger had passed, bystanders rushed over to help the injured man.
MacLeod said the tourist complained about severe pain in his hip and leg, although those helping him couldn’t immediately spot any visible injuries. His grandson later confirmed his grandfather had suffered serious injuries and was still “not out of the woods.”
Exactly what triggered the attack remains unclear.
However, MacLeod believes the bull’s behavior may have been linked to Yellowstone’s annual bison rut. During that time, male bison compete for mates, making them more aggressive.
According to MacLeod, the same bull had already charged toward a group of children earlier that evening and seemed to be “charging anything and everything.”
Despite that, he said the victim and his grandson appeared to be keeping what looked like a respectful distance from the bison.
The National Park Service has not released additional information about the incident.