An evening stroll inside Yellowstone National Park's Bridge Bay Campground on Friday, July 10, 2026, took a perilous turn when a bull bison charged an elderly man, launching him approximately eight feet into the air and causing significant injuries. The incident, which unfolded rapidly and was documented by a nearby photographer, highlighted the unpredictable nature of wildlife encounters within national parks.
"I was really afraid he was going to gore the guy on the ground, so I stopped videotaping and ran at the bison, yelled loud, and was trying to be as big and intimidating as possible." — Mike MacLeod, Photographer
The chaotic sequence began when a large bison wandered into the popular family campground, located south of Fishing Bridge. Mike MacLeod, a Montana-based photographer camping in the vicinity, observed the animal and began recording from a safe distance. Initially, the bison set its sights on a group of children who were taking photos, charging them before they scattered and escaped harm. Rather than calming, the animal then stormed through the crowded campground, prompting shouts and panic among visitors seeking safety.
The bison eventually settled in a dirt patch by the road, appearing to rest. It was during this lull that an unidentified grandfather and his grandson encountered the animal, reportedly unaware of the earlier disturbances. According to the Cowboy State Daily, the pair maintained a distance of roughly 100 yards from the bison, a safety buffer equivalent to a football field and consistent with National Park Service recommendations. MacLeod, observing the scene, noted the crowd's discipline, stating, "I didn’t see anybody getting close. People were yelling, ‘Careful, there’s a bison coming through,’ and they kept their distance. They were very respectful.”
After taking a few photos, the grandfather and grandson retreated into a nearby wooded area, seemingly out of danger. However, the bison's aggression reignited when a white pickup truck drove past the campground. MacLeod recounted, "The bison was charging the truck. The guy in the truck saw that happening, and he just kept going.” Once the truck departed, the enraged animal redirected its attention to the trees where the grandfather and grandson had sought cover. While the grandson managed to escape, the bison pursued the grandfather through the woods.
Moments later, the bison caught up to the man. MacLeod, watching through his camera lens, vividly described the impact: the bison “hooked him with his left horn on his hip and tossed him in the air.” The victim's body twisted mid-air before he landed on his side. “He made a perfect flip and landed on his side,” MacLeod detailed, noting the bison stood approximately six feet tall, and the man was propelled several feet above it.
As the injured man lay motionless, the bison reportedly hovered over him, shaking its head in agitation. Fearing the animal would gore the man, MacLeod made a swift decision, ceasing his recording and running towards the bison. “I was really afraid he was going to gore the guy on the ground, so I stopped videotaping and ran at the bison, yelled loud, and was trying to be as big and intimidating as possible,” he stated. Other campers quickly joined MacLeod, forming a group that shouted and charged until the bison finally fled the campground.
Bystanders then rushed to the injured grandfather, providing immediate assistance to stabilize him until emergency services arrived. Witnesses reported the man was experiencing significant pain in his hip and leg, though no external wounds were immediately visible. One camper held the victim's hand, while another kept watch for the bison's potential return. A woman called 911, and another attempted to check for bleeding. Yellowstone EMS personnel subsequently took over care, and the grandson later informed MacLeod that his grandfather had sustained serious injuries and remained in guarded condition.
The grandson also confided that his grandfather initially blamed himself, questioning if he had provoked the attack. MacLeod, however, dismissed this notion, asserting his footage confirmed the man had done nothing wrong. “They were just out for an evening walk, just happened to turn around the corner, and there’s a bison,” MacLeod explained, adding that the animal's behavior prior to the attack indicated clear agitation, describing it as “pissed off, and charging anything and everything.”
MacLeod, despite years of observing bison, expressed bewilderment at the incident, particularly why the bison targeted the grandfather and grandson when other visitors were closer. “I’ve been around bison for a while, but this was really weird,” he commented. “Why did it pick those two? There were so many people around, and most of them were closer to and behind the bison. It was really weird.”
The violent episode occurred during Yellowstone’s bison rut, the annual mating season from June through September, which is known to heighten aggression among bulls competing for dominance. MacLeod acknowledged that the ordeal had permanently altered his expectations of bison behavior during this period. As of this report, the National Park Service has not issued any public statement regarding the incident.
