A pack of wolves took down a bison in Yellowstone National Park and attracted a crowd of people — that the rest of the bison herd then charged into.
Wildlife photographer Jeff Vanuga captured a photo as one of the last bison “thundered” through the crowd, and he shared it to his social media pages on Sunday, Feb. 2.
“Close call!” he said in a caption with the photo. “After wolves took down a bison cow 100’ below the road the herd came up to where … everyone was observing the kill. Seconds later a stampede ensued with bison running directly at the crowd.”
The crowd scattered, running over the icy road and diving out of the way “as the bison thundered through people, snow coaches and snowmobiles,” Vanuga said.
“Luckily no one was injured and after getting out of harms way I managed a couple shots of the last bison weaving through the crowd,” he said. “An adrenaline filled morning!”
The photo shows the last bison heading toward a vehicle and what looks like a crowd of people piling into a bus behind it.
“If that bison continued on his path he would have knocked those folks over like bowling pins!” Vanuga said in a comment on Facebook.
Some commented assuming people had acted inappropriately around the wild animals, but Vanuga set the record straight on Instagram.
“These folks did nothing wrong so please do not make assumptions,” he said. “Bison came over a blind section of hill and road and ran down the road. No one was at fault. Blame it on the wolves.”
What to know about bison
Multiple people have been injured by bison.
A Yellowstone National Park visitor was injured by a bison after he harassed a herd and kicked one of the animals in its leg in April, McClatchy News previously reported.
A frustrated bison charged and chased a family in Yellowstone National Park after losing a fight with another bull in July, McClatchy News reported.
In 2022, a 25-year-old woman was gored by a bison and tossed 10 feet into the air at Yellowstone National Park, rangers said. The woman had walked toward the bison on a boardwalk near the Old Faithful geyser and came within 10 feet.
A 34-year-old Colorado man was also gored by a bison while walking near Old Faithful with family when the animal charged toward them, according to park officials.
“Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal,” park rangers said. “They are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans.”
Bison are huge animals that can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and run up to 30 mph, according to the park. Stay at least 75 feet away from bison at all times.