Bison Throws Grandfather into Air at Yellowstone Bridge Bay Campground

A bull bison charged a grandfather and grandson at Bridge Bay Campground in Yellowstone National Park on July 10, tossing the man about eight feet into the air before onlookers drove the animal away. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. at the campground south of Fishing Bridge in the park's southeastern quadrant in Wyoming.

Professional photographer Mike MacLeod recorded video of the event. The grandfather and grandson had been filming the bison from a distance when a passing vehicle agitated the animal, which then charged. The bison hooked the grandfather with its left horn on his hip and threw him into the air.

He landed on his side. MacLeod estimated the bison stood at least six feet tall. The victim appeared to suffer significant injuries to his hips and the leg he landed on. MacLeod and other onlookers yelled and acted to intimidate the bison, which then ran off.

Emergency services responded to the scene. The grandson later told MacLeod that his grandfather had significant injuries and remained in serious condition. The National Park Service has not released official details.

This marks the second reported bison-on-human encounter in Yellowstone in 2026. On June 26 a 12-year-old visitor was injured by a bison near Mud Volcano and taken to a hospital. Park records show two bison-related incidents in 2025, two in 2024 and one in 2023.

Bison injure more visitors in Yellowstone than any other species, the park states. They can run three times faster than humans.