Bison flips grandpa at Yellowstone National Park on July 10, sending a 65-year-old man eight feet into the air near Bridge Bay Campground. Park emergency medical personnel took him to a nearby hospital, and he later had successful surgery. His grandson was shaken but doing OK.
Mike MacLeod at Bridge Bay Campground
Mike MacLeod, a local park photographer, said he saw the attack and captured it on video. He told News, "I really didn't think [the bison] was going to pick those two people of all the people who were even way closer."
He also described the animal's movements during the charge. "The bison was pumping his legs and pumping his head and exhibiting very aggressive behavior," MacLeod said. Afterward, he added, "He was in a lot of pain and he was trying to not move his leg, but his immediate concern was for his grandson."
Yellowstone safety warning
Yellowstone said bison have injured more people in the park than any other animal, and warned that they are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans. The park also says visitors are responsible for staying at least 25 yards away from all large animals, including bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes.
Ron Magill, a wildlife expert and Zoo Miami Foundation conservation liaison, said summer can be especially dangerous around male bison. "We're at the peak of what's called the bison rut," he said. "This is where the males are just raging in hormones because they're fighting for territories and they're fighting for females."
Magill advised visitors to move away slowly, not run and not make any fast types of movements. The warning fits the scene MacLeod described: the bison had been resting on the grass before it stood up and charged after the grandfather and grandson approached to take a photo.
