A 34-year-old man had to be taken to hospital after being attacked by a huge bison when he tried to move a young boy out of its way.
Footage captured by an onlooker shows the bison running towards the family members as they visited Yellowstone National Park on Monday (27 June) and walked near Giant Geyser at Old Faithful.
The animal appeared to come to a stop before it made contact with the visitors, but the group apparently weren't concerned as they remained in the area, with one man even appearing to approach the bison before it charged towards the young boy.
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See the dramatic scene unfold below:
The clip shows two adults moving out of the way before a third ran to try and rescue the child from the bison's path. As the man grabbed the child, the animal struck him head-on and caused him to fall to the ground before getting up and running away.
Rob Goodell, who filmed the events as they took place on Monday, told Cowboy State Daily the man and child were 'just walking up to the bison when [it] took off'.
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Goodell expressed belief the bison was provoked into its attack, saying: “Anyone who says that the bison just attacked that guy or whatever, that’s bulls**t. The bison was just protecting his ground."
In a statement addressing the incident, the National Parks Service (NPS) said family members 'did not leave the area' even when the bison charged towards them.
"The bull bison continued to charge and gored the male," the NPS said, explaining the man sustained an injury to his arm and was transported by ambulance to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center to receive treatment.
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Monday's attack marks the second incident of a Yellowstone visitor getting too close to an animal in 2022, with the NPS saying that in both cases the bison responded to the perceived threat 'by goring the individual'.
"Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are wild and can be dangerous when approached," the parks service said.
"When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space. Stay more than 25 yards (23 m) away from all large animals - bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes - and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves. If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in proximity," it added.
The NPS warned bison are 'unpredictable' and can run three times faster than humans. Monday's incident remains under investigation by the authority.
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Emily Brown