What began as a peaceful evening walk through Yellowstone National Park turned into a horrifying ordeal when a massive bull bison charged at a tourist and hurled him several feet into the air.
The shocking attack happened Friday at Bridge Bay Campground, where the unidentified man suffered serious injuries after witnesses said the bison caught him with one of its horns before tossing him nearly eight feet into the air.
The dramatic incident was captured on video by photographer Mike MacLeod, who was camping nearby when the attack unfolded.
Footage shows the man walking through the campground with his grandson when the bull suddenly became aggressive. Both tried to move out of the animal’s path, but the bison continued charging. While the grandson managed to escape, the older man was chased down before the bull caught him and launched him into the air.
After the attack, the bison remained close to the injured man, raising fears that it might charge again.
“I had to get the bison’s attention,” MacLeod told Cowboy State Daily, via VT. He said he stopped recording, ran toward the animal, and shouted in an attempt to distract it.
Other campers quickly joined him, and together they were able to drive the bison away before emergency responders arrived.
Once the immediate danger had passed, bystanders rushed in to help the injured tourist.
MacLeod said the man complained of intense pain in his hip and leg, although those assisting him did not immediately notice any obvious external injuries. His grandson later revealed that his grandfather had sustained serious injuries and was still “not out of the woods.”
The exact cause of the attack remains unknown.
MacLeod believes the bull’s aggressive behavior may have been connected to Yellowstone’s annual bison rut, a mating season when male bison become highly territorial and often compete aggressively for mates.
According to MacLeod, the same bull had reportedly charged at a group of children earlier that evening and appeared to be “charging anything and everything.”
Even so, he said the tourist and his grandson seemed to be maintaining what appeared to be a safe and respectful distance from the animal before the attack.
The National Park Service has not released any additional details about the incident.