Bison Throws 65-Year-Old Man Eight Feet Into Air at Yellowstone Campground

A 65-year-old man was hospitalized after a bull bison threw him approximately eight feet into the air near Bridge Bay Campground in Yellowstone National Park. The attack occurred while the man walked south of Fishing Bridge with his grandson. The bison had first charged a group of children taking photos from a safe distance and then a passing white pickup truck before turning toward the pair.

Professional photographer Mike MacLeod recorded the encounter on video. The animal hooked the man with its left horn on his hip, flipping him into the air. He landed on his side and experienced pain in his hips and the leg that took the impact, though no external injuries or bleeding were immediately visible.

Bystanders including MacLeod ran toward the bison, yelling and attempting to appear large to divert its attention from the injured man. Emergency medical services arrived and transported him to a hospital. The man's grandson told MacLeod that his grandfather had significant injuries and was not out of the woods yet.

The National Park Service had not released an official statement on the man's condition as of Sunday morning. This was the second reported human-bison incident at Yellowstone in 2026. A 12-year-old visitor was injured on June 26 near Mud Volcano, north of Fishing Bridge.

The aggression occurred during the annual rutting season, which runs from June to September.