A witness said the seriously injured visitor was about 100 yards away before the agitated bull crossed the campground toward him.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — A bison encounter that seriously injured a visitor at Bridge Bay Campground is drawing attention to the unpredictable movement of Yellowstone wildlife, even when people appear to begin well beyond the park’s required viewing distance.
Photographer Mike MacLeod said the man and his grandson were about 100 yards from a bull bison Friday evening before the animal ran across the campground and pursued them near a group of trees. The bison caught the older man with a horn and tossed him about 8 feet into the air, MacLeod said. The grandson escaped, and bystanders later drove the animal away from the injured man.
Yellowstone requires visitors to remain at least 25 yards, or 23 meters, from bison and other large animals such as elk, bighorn sheep, deer and moose. The Park Service warns that bison may appear calm but can move rapidly and have injured more people in the park than any other animal. Visitors are expected to increase their distance when wildlife moves closer.
MacLeod’s account suggests the man and his grandson were several times farther away than the minimum distance when they first saw the bison. The animal, however, had already been moving aggressively through the campground, he said. It had charged toward a group of young people, run through occupied camping areas and stopped to wallow in the dirt.
The two visitors paused along a road while the bull was on the ground, MacLeod said. When it began to stand, they moved away and took cover behind trees. A white pickup passed through the area, and the bison ran toward the vehicle before turning toward the place where the man and his grandson had gone.
The grandson got clear, but the older man was chased around the trees. MacLeod said the bison hooked him near the hip and flipped him into the air. The man landed on his side and remained on the ground as the animal stood over him, shaking its head.
MacLeod stopped recording and yelled while running toward the bull in an attempt to draw it away. Other campers joined him, and the animal left. Witnesses called 911, watched for the bison’s return and remained with the injured visitor until Yellowstone emergency medical personnel arrived.
The man reported significant pain in his hips and one leg, MacLeod said. His grandson later told the photographer that the injuries were serious. The National Park Service had not issued a statement about the Bridge Bay incident as of Monday, and no official medical update had been released.
The encounter was the second publicly reported bison-related visitor injury in Yellowstone during the early summer. A 12-year-old was injured June 26 near Mud Volcano, just north of Fishing Bridge. Emergency crews took the child to a hospital, and the Park Service said the circumstances remained under investigation.
Bison are the largest land mammals in North America. Yellowstone supports the country’s largest bison population on public land and is the only place in the United States where the animals have lived continuously since prehistoric times, according to the Park Service. Their size and importance to the Yellowstone ecosystem also make close encounters a central concern for park managers.
The park’s distance rule establishes a minimum separation, but it cannot prevent a wild animal from crossing that space. Yellowstone advises people to turn around or travel in another direction when a bison moves within 25 yards. The agency also warns that the animals can run about three times faster than humans.
MacLeod said the Bridge Bay incident changed his expectations about bison behavior because the animal covered a long distance before reaching the visitors. His video account also showed that the man tried to leave as the bull rose and did not approach it at close range.
Park officials had not announced whether rangers were seeking additional witnesses, reviewing recordings or monitoring the bull involved. The injured visitor’s name and current condition remained unconfirmed by the agency Monday.
Author note: Last updated July 13, 2026.