A terrifying wildlife encounter went down at Yellowstone National Park’s Bay Bridge Campground on July 10 and it serves as a good reminder to all regarding how unpredictable and dangerous big game can be.

The incident involved a 65-year-old grandfather getting tossed about eight feet into the air by a bull bison while he was visiting the national park with his 13-year-old grandson. While violent bison encounters of this nature aren’t unheard of – especially in Yellowstone National Park where hoards of tourists and bison tend to exist in close proximity – what perhaps makes this one shocking is how the grandfather who was struck wasn’t really doing anything wrong.

When videos of this nature go viral, they typically involve someone trying to take a selfie with wildlife or trying to feed or pet an animal or simply walking by too close. That wasn’t the case in this situation, as the man doesn’t appear to be doing anything irresponsible prior to the attack.

A minute-long video that captures what happened starts off by showing the grandfather and his grandson separated from the bison by a significant amount of pavement. It’s hard to tell exactly how much distance there is, but it seems like it’s at least the recommended 25 yards, if not quite a bit more. The bison rolls in the dirt, seemingly undisturbed and the grandfather and grandson take photos and move along.

The situation then takes a dangerous turn. The bison stands up shortly before a truck drives by, with the truck seeming to trigger an aggressive response. As the truck leaves the scene, the bison seems to turn his aggression toward whatever target he can find – the two relatives.

Even though the two are fairly hidden by trees, the bison starts a charge their way, chasing the grandfather around the group of trees twice. The bison is relentless and ultimately catches up with the man, tossing him through the air.

Reporting from Cowboy State Daily indicates that after the man got thrown through the air, the bison stood over him aggressively. That’s when bystanders stepped in to haze the bison away. The man sustained “pretty significant injuries,” according to his grandson.

A report from the New York Post indicates that the man broke his femur in four places near his hip, but that he was able to stand by Monday following a Sunday surgery.

This bison attack shows how unpredictable wildlife can be in a terrifying way. Even if someone is doing nothing wrong and at what’s been deemed a ‘safe distance’ from an animal, that doesn’t mean a situation is fully risk-free.

While trying to stay a safe distance from wildlife is important, it’s also important to be aware of escape routes and where sanctuary might be found, as well.

In the case of bison, it’s important to remember that they’re quite fast – bison can hit speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. This means that they can quickly close the distance during a charge. Watch for signs of aggression if you’re around bison and if you notice any aggressive behavior, immediately walk or run away from the animal. If a charge is taking place, seek cover behind trees, cars, or other large objects.

Looking back on the video with those tips in mind, it’s still hard to point at anything the man did wrong. When he noticed a charge was underway, he ran, and it appears as if he tried to use the trees as an obstacle, too. Honestly, it just seems like a really unfortunate scenario and a case of ‘wrong place, wrong time.’ Hopefully the man is able to recover from his injuries quickly and is back in nature soon.

Watch the full video here (apologies on the profanity in the title of the subReddit, this seemed like the best option for the full length clip coupled with some public commentary).

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