A dramatic video has emerged, capturing the startling moment a bison knocked down a tourist in a forest in Poland, refusing to let its human victim get back on his feet.
The unsettling incident unfolded in Poland’s Białowieża Forest, where the tourist found himself just 20 feet from the bison when it unexpectedly charged last Monday, local media TVP World reported. The immense creature barreled into the man, sending him sprawling to the ground.
The chilling footage, shared widely on social media, shows the massive bison looming over the fallen man, leaving viewers in suspense.
As the tourist attempts to regain his footing, the powerful bison swiftly lunges at him, forcing him back to the ground, as the video shockingly illustrates.
Nature photographer Grzegorz Ryński, who captured the intense scene, can be heard urging the tourist to remain still. He then used his vehicle to intervene, creating a barrier between the man and the determined bison, according to the report from TVP World.
Ryński slowly drove toward the animal, with the car door ajar so the man could get inside.
However, the tourist appeared to be in shock and tried to flee the bison on foot, forcing the photographer to slowly reverse alongside him until they were far enough away.
“We shouldn’t blame the bison. The man was actually very lucky because this particular animal was quite calm. There are much more aggressive individuals,” Ryński told a broadcaster, TVN24, per the outlet.
Ryński’s wife, Aneta, who also saw the takedown, said the tourist had a deep gash on his calf and was badly bruised and needed to be taken to the hospital for treatment.
“A bison is a wild animal. If a person gets too close, the animal may feel threatened and attack,” she said.
The famed forest, located on Poland’s border with Belarus, is a refuge for roughly 1,176 free-range European bison.
In July, Grandpa Carl Isom-McDaniel was tossed 8 feet in the air by a bison in a viral attack at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.
Parkgoers are urged to keep their distance to avoid being attacked by the powerful, dangerous animals that can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.