A frightening video going viral on social media shows a tourist being attacked by an agitated bison at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming last week.
The National Park Service (NPS) confirmed to PEOPLE that a 65-year-old man was injured by a bison at the Bridge Bay Campground on July 10. "Park emergency medical personnel responded and transported him to a nearby hospital. There are no further details to share," the agency said.
Photographer Mike MacLeod captured the attack on video, which shows the animal charging the man and his grandson, who take cover behind some trees. The bison eventually reaches the grandfather before hurling him several feet in the air.
"The bison hooked him with his left horn on his hip and tossed him in the air," MacLeod told Cowboy State Daily. "He made a perfect flip and landed on his side. The bison was at least six feet tall, and (the victim) was several feet above him."
MacLeod said he "stopped videotaping and ran at the bison, yelled loud, and was trying to be as big and intimidating as possible" to help the victim.
From the video, it would appear the man and his grandson were following NPS guidelines, which recommend visitors remain at least 100 yards away from bears, wolves and cougars, and at least 25 yards away from all other animals, including bison.
"You can tell he was agitated, pissed off, and charging anything and everything," added MacLeod. "I’ve been around bison for a while, but this was really weird. Why did it pick those two? There were so many people around, and most of them were closer to and behind the bison. It was really weird."
"I was just trying to get some dramatic footage of that bison having a fit. 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," he added.
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