A video showing a bison leaping and snorting near a group of tourists in Yellowstone National Park drew sharp criticism after experts said the animal was displaying signs of agitation and preparing to charge.
The footage, posted on Facebook by Jake Slater and widely shared online, shows the horned animal bouncing across the grass toward people who were standing near a low wooden fence along a boardwalk. In the clip, the tourists initially laugh at what appeared to be a "dancing" bison before their reactions change to concern as the animal begins snorting and tossing its head.
Ecologist and bison advocate George Wuerthner told Cowboy State Daily that the animal was not performing but demonstrating its agitation, and that its behavior was a clear warning. "That bison was not performing except to demonstrate his agitation. They are so fast, and these people were way too close," he said. Wuerthner added that a road or boardwalk is not likely to stop a charging bison and described the low fence as a false sense of security.
The National Park Service has repeatedly warned visitors to maintain distance from wildlife in Yellowstone, which receives roughly four million visitors a year. Park officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the video, but incident records show several injuries this season tied to close encounters with bison. In May, a 47-year-old Florida man was gored after approaching a bison too closely, and a tourist from New Jersey was gored in June, according to the National Park Service.
Onlookers and social media commenters criticized the tourists in the clip for standing close enough that the animal's agitation became a safety concern. Some commenters noted the animal's tail posture — held straight and rigid — as a sign of upset behavior; Wuerthner said that tail position is a clear indicator that a bison is agitated. Others recounted previous incidents in which bison broke through barriers or injured people after perceived provocation.
Commenters also speculated about whether a fur-trimmed trapper hat worn by one member of the group might have drawn the animal's attention by resembling a predator. Those accounts were framed as viewer observations rather than verified causes of the bison's behavior.
Wuerthner said a common problem in Yellowstone is that visitors treat the park like a human-controlled environment and assume wildlife will behave as if in a zoo, despite the animals' wild instincts. He noted that more people in Yellowstone are hurt by bison than by bears, in part because visitors underestimate how quickly and strongly bison can react when approached.
The viral clip serves as a reminder of the hazards of close wildlife encounters and the importance of following park guidance to keep a safe distance from large animals. According to Cowboy State Daily, two fatal bison incidents have been reported historically, and park records show multiple nonfatal injuries in recent years tied to people getting too near bison.
Yellowstone officials regularly advise visitors to stay in vehicles when bison are nearby and to remain at a safe distance on foot. Experts and experienced park visitors say recognizing warning signs such as snorting, head tossing, and a rigid tail can be crucial to avoiding dangerous encounters with large wild animals.