A tourist was seriously injured after an aggressive bull bison charged at him and tossed him nearly 8 feet into the air at Yellowstone National Park in the US on Friday evening, according to a report by Cowboy State Daily.
The incident occurred at Bridge Bay Campground, where professional photographer Mike MacLeod captured the attack on camera. MacLeod described the bull as "angry, agitated and charging anything and everything." He said the victim was walking with his grandson when the bison suddenly charged, despite the pair maintaining what appeared to be a safe distance.
According to MacLeod, the bull had already charged at a group of children earlier before roaming through the campground in an aggressive state.
Tourist flipped into the air
After the bison seemed to settle down, the victim and his grandson reportedly took a moment to snap pictures. But the animal was set off once more and rushed in their direction.
The grandson managed to flee, but the older man was caught. MacLeod told Cowboy State Daily that the bison hooked the victim with its horn near his hip, launching him nearly 8 feet into the air before landing heavily on his side.
The bison stood over the injured man until MacLeod and other bystanders shouted and charged at it, forcing it to flee. Emergency personnel later transported the victim to a hospital. According to his grandson, he sustained severe injuries and is still in critical condition.
Attack during bison rut
MacLeod said the victim did nothing to provoke the attack and that visitors had maintained a safe distance while warning each other about the animal.
The attack comes during Yellowstone's annual bison rut (June to September), when bull bison become highly aggressive during the breeding season.
This is the second reported bison-related injury at Yellowstone in 2026. Park authorities advise visitors to stay at least 25 yards (23 metres) away from bison, as they can run at speeds of up to 35 mph (56 km/h) despite their seemingly calm appearance.
