Watch: Bison flings man eight feet into air in dramatic attack at US Yellowstone National Park
A man suffered serious injuries after a charging bull bison hurled him nearly eight feet into the air at Yellowstone National Park in the United States on Friday, according to an eyewitness who filmed the attack.The incident occurred at the Bridge Bay Campground when the victim and his grandson were taking an evening walk. Photographer Mike MacLeod, who was camping nearby, said the pair had kept a considerable distance from the animal before it suddenly charged.A video circulating on social media also shows the bison running around and ultimately targeting the man and throwing him into the air.MacLeod said the bull had already been moving aggressively through the campground, forcing several visitors to scatter, before it eventually targeted the two pedestrians. “They were walking along the road, quite a ways away from the bison, and it started running at them,” he said, as quoted by local news outlet Cowboy State Daily.The grandson escaped unharmed, but the older man was chased around a cluster of trees before the animal caught him.According to MacLeod, the bison struck the man with one of its horns, launching him high into the air before he landed heavily on his side.The witness said the animal then remained close to the injured man, raising fears that it could attack again. “I was really afraid he was going to gore the guy on the ground,” MacLeod said, adding that he and several bystanders rushed toward the bison while shouting, eventually driving it away.Emergency responders arrived shortly afterwards and transported the injured man for treatment. Although there were no obvious external wounds, MacLeod said the victim complained of severe pain in his hip and leg. Later, the man’s grandson informed him that his grandfather had sustained “pretty significant injuries” and remained in a serious condition.MacLeod said the attack stood out because, unlike many wildlife encounters in Yellowstone, visitors had behaved responsibly. “I didn’t see anybody getting close,” he said. “People… kept their distance. They were very respectful.”He described the bull as unusually aggressive, saying it charged at multiple people and even a passing pickup truck before attacking the victim.The attack comes during Yellowstone’s annual bison mating season, or rut, which lasts from June to September. During this period, male bison are known to become more territorial and aggressive as they compete for mates.The incident is the second reported bison attack involving a visitor at Yellowstone this year. A 12-year-old was injured in a separate encounter near the Mud Volcano area of the park in June.
