A tourist is reported to have been seriously injured after a bull bison charged at him and threw him nearly 8 feet into the air at Yellowstone National Park on Friday evening, according to reports citing eyewitness accounts. The incident happened at Bridge Bay Campground, where professional photographer Mike MacLeod captured the event on camera. MacLeod described the bull as “angry, agitated and charging anything and everything.” He said the victim appeared to be walking with his grandson and that the pair had what seemed to be a safe distance from the animal.
Accounts say the bison had already charged a group of children earlier before moving through the campground in an aggressive state. After the victim and his grandson stopped briefly to take pictures, the bison reportedly rushed again. The grandson was able to run away, but the older man was caught when the bison hooked him near his hip with a horn, flinging him about 8 feet high before he landed heavily. Bystanders and MacLeod said they shouted and moved toward the animal until it fled. Emergency personnel transported the injured man to a hospital, and his grandson said injuries were severe and the man was in critical condition. The report notes the attack occurs during Yellowstone’s annual bison rut season, when bulls can be especially aggressive, and reiterates the park’s guidance to stay at least 25 yards away.
