Grandfather Hospitalized After Bison Attack at Yellowstone
A grandfather was seriously injured after a 2,000-pound bull bison hooked and tossed him eight feet into the air at a campground in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park on Friday, July 10. The incident occurred at the Bridge Bay campground, south of Fishing Bridge, while the man was walking with his grandson.
The National Park Service (NPS) has not released official details about the attack. However, Mike MacLeod, a professional photographer from Bozeman, Montana, provided a vivid account and video footage to Wyoming's Cowboy State Daily newspaper.
Photographer's Eyewitness Account
MacLeod was camping with his wife when she spotted the bison approaching. He began filming, hoping to capture dramatic footage. “I was just trying to get some dramatic footage of that bison having a fit,” MacLeod said. “It’s changed my idea of what to expect from these guys at this time of year, because I would not have predicted that happening.”
According to MacLeod, the bison walked through the campground, approaching a group of children taking photos from a distance. The bison then charged the children, prompting campers to yell warnings. The grandfather and grandson appeared on a road while the bison was lying in dust. Both pulled out cellphones to take pictures from dozens of yards away.
Bison Charges and Tosses Victim
The bison stood up, and the grandfather told his grandson, “OK, time to leave,” moving behind trees. The bison was distracted by a pickup truck, charging it and causing the driver to speed off. MacLeod said the bison then turned its attention to where the man and his grandson were hiding. The grandson escaped, but the bison chased the grandfather around trees, hooked him with its left horn on his hip, and tossed him into the air. “He made a perfect flip and landed on his side,” MacLeod reported. “The bison was at least 6ft tall, and the victim was several feet above him.”
MacLeod feared the bison would gore the man on the ground, so he stopped filming and ran toward the bison, yelling to distract it. Other bystanders joined, and the bison fled. The grandson later told MacLeod that the grandfather “has some pretty significant injuries and is not out of the woods yet.”
Park Safety Guidelines and Rutting Season Context
Yellowstone officials warn on the park’s website that animals “are wild and dangerous, no matter how docile they may appear.” Visitors are advised to stay at least 100 yards from bears, wolves, and cougars, and at least 25 yards from all other animals, including bison and elk. “If an animal moves closer to you, back away to maintain a safe distance,” the site states. “It’s illegal to willfully remain near or approach wildlife, including birds, within any distance that disturbs or displaces the animal.”
MacLeod noted that the injured man was following park suggestions. “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.” The attack occurred during bison rutting season, when males seek to show off physical prowess. “You can tell he was agitated, pissed off and charging anything and everything,” MacLeod added.
Second Bison Incident in 2026
Cowboy State Daily reported this is Yellowstone’s second bison-on-human incident in 2026. The first occurred on June 26, when a 12-year-old was injured near Mud Volcano, north of Fishing Bridge. The NPS stated, “The visitor sustained injuries, and emergency medical personnel transported them to a nearby hospital. The incident remains under investigation.”
