A campground at Yellowstone National Park became the scene of a violent wildlife encounter on Friday evening when a bull bison charged a visitor, hurling him several feet into the air. The man, who was walking with his grandson near the Bridge Bay Campground, was left with severe injuries and remains hospitalised, according to local media reports. The entire sequence was recorded by professional photographer Mike MacLeod, who was camping nearby and later helped to drive the animal away.

Witness accounts describe a bison that had been moving erratically through the area for some time before the attack. According to MacLeod, the animal had previously charged a group of children who were taking photographs from a distance, and it later targeted a white pickup truck that passed through the campground. The victim and his grandson were walking along a roadway when they spotted the bison. The pair paused — some say to take a photograph — before retreating behind a cluster of trees as the animal rose from the ground. MacLeod said the man recognised it was time to leave and moved away, but the bison, after briefly chasing the truck, turned and barrelled into the wooded area where the two had sought cover.

The bull hooked the man with its horn and tossed him into the air; video shows him flipping before crashing onto his side. The bison then stood over the injured victim, shaking its head, prompting MacLeod and several bystanders to rush forward shouting in an effort to distract it. The tactic succeeded, and the animal eventually retreated. Emergency medical personnel from the park arrived shortly afterwards and transported the man to a hospital. The photographer later spoke to the victim’s grandson, who said his grandfather had sustained “pretty significant injuries” and was not yet out of danger. No official medical update has been released by park authorities.

Yellowstone officials have long warned that bison can be unpredictable and are responsible for more injuries in the park than any other animal. Visitors are required to stay at least 25 yards away, and after a separate incident in June — when a 12-year-old was injured near Mud Volcano — the park reiterated that bison can run three times faster than humans and will defend their space. MacLeod told local media that those in the campground on Friday were keeping a respectful distance and actively warning one another as the agitated animal moved through. “I didn’t see anybody getting close,” he said. The attack occurred during the annual rut, which runs from June to September, when males become more territorial. A statement from the National Park Service about the latest incident was still pending as of Sunday morning.