An 80-year-old grandfather from California was critically injured, including a broken hip, after a 2,000-pound bull bison charged him at Yellowstone National Park's Bridge Bay Campground on July 10. The animal flipped the man approximately eight feet into the air, according to witness reports and video footage.
Witnesses insisted the man did everything correctly, staying well back from the bison. He was walking with his young grandson in the evening when they spotted the animal about 100 yards away—far beyond the park's mandatory 25-yard minimum distance. They stopped to take photos, but the bison, already agitated during rutting season, had previously charged a group of children who escaped unharmed.
Attack Details
The bison stood up and began pacing through the campsite. Sensing danger, the grandfather told his grandson to leave, and they backed away behind pine trees. A white pickup truck drove past, which witnesses said appeared to trigger the bull. The bison charged at the truck, missed, then locked eyes on the man and boy in the trees, storming into the grove. The grandson sprinted away, but the bull cornered the older man.
In a viral clip, the bison hooked the man's hip with its left horn and flipped him eight feet into the air. He somersaulted mid-air and slammed onto his side, according to Cowboy State Daily. Witness and former Army combat photographer Mike MacLeod said the animal then stood over the fallen man, shaking its head as if ready to gore him again. MacLeod dropped his camera, charged at the bison screaming and waving his arms, and other campers joined in, causing the bull to back off and flee.
Aftermath and Investigation
Bystanders administered first aid and kept the man calm until Yellowstone EMS arrived. He was rushed to hospital and remains under close medical care. His family said he is "not out of the woods yet." The National Park Service is investigating the incident. Yellowstone is entering bison rutting season, when bulls can become hyper-aggressive and unpredictable, as reported by The Guardian.
