Full Breakdown
Bison Charges Tourist, Hurls Him Eight Feet at Yellowstone’s Bridge Bay Campground
7/13/2026, 4:37:52 AM
Core Event
On the evening of July 10, 2026, a bull bison entered the Bridge Bay Campground near Yellowstone Lake in Wyoming’s southeastern park quadrant. While a grandfather, Carl Isom-McDaniel, and his grandson were walking the campground loop, the animal “hooked him with its left horn on his hip and tossed him in the air,” sending the man roughly eight feet (2.4 m) upward before he landed on his side. Isom-McDaniel, a board member in Whatcom County, Washington, suffered multiple broken bones, including a severely injured leg that required surgery. Campers and a professional photographer, Mike MacLeod, intervened, hazing the bison until it fled. Emergency responders arrived within about ten minutes and transported the victim to a hospital, where his condition remained serious.
Background & Context
The incident occurred during the bison rutting (mating) season, which runs from June through September. Bulls become markedly more aggressive, often “charging anything and everything,” according to MacLeod. Yellowstone’s regulations require visitors to keep a minimum distance from large mammals: 23 m (?25 yards) from bison and elk, and 100 yd (?90 m) from bears, wolves, and cougars. The park’s website warns that “all wildlife is wild and dangerous, no matter how docile they may appear.”
Data & Statistics
- Average adult bull bison weight: ? 900 kg (2,000 lb).
- Maximum sprint speed: ? 48 km/h (30 mph).
- Recommended safety buffer for bison: 23 m (? 25 yards).
- This was Yellowstone’s second bison-on-human injury reported in 2026; the first occurred on June 26 near Mud Volcano, involving a 12-year-old visitor.
Official Statements & Responses
The National Park Service (NPS) confirmed that an investigation is underway but has not released detailed findings about the July 10 attack. A prior NPS statement regarding the June 26 incident noted that “the visitor sustained injuries, and emergency medical personnel transported them to a nearby hospital.” The park’s public-facing guidelines reiterate that “it is illegal to willfully remain near or approach wildlife, including birds, within any distance that disturbs or displaces the animal.”
Criticism & Concerns
Observers have criticized the NPS for the lack of timely information about the July 10 event, noting that “neither the National Park Service nor Yellowstone officials have released any information about the attack.” Wildlife-safety advocates point to the growing frequency of bison encounters during rutting season and argue that current distance guidelines may be insufficient given the animals’ heightened aggression.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact recommended distance for bison: some cite 23 m (? 25 yards) while others reference a minimum of 25 yards in park literature. Additionally, while multiple eyewitnesses assert that the victim maintained the advised distance, the NPS has not publicly confirmed the precise location of the tourist relative to the bison at the moment of impact.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I was just trying to get some dramatic footage of that bison having a fit,” — Mike MacLeod, Professional photographer
- “My wife saw a bull bison come into the campground,” — Mike MacLeod, Professional photographer
- “He never lost consciousness that I saw," MacLeod said.” — Mike MacLeod, Professional photographer
- “The Park Service is always warning people that all wildlife is dangerous.” — Mike MacLeod, Professional photographer
The incident underscores the inherent risks of wildlife encounters in Yellowstone, especially during the rutting period, and highlights ongoing debates over visitor safety protocols.
