Bison Tossing Man In Yellowstone Video
The Bison Tossing Man In Yellowstone Video shows a bull bison charging an elderly tourist at Bridge Bay Campground and flipping him roughly 8 feet into the air. Filmed by photographer Mike MacLeod on July 10, 2026, the clip spread across Facebook, X, Reddit, and YouTube within days, drawing tens of millions of views and spawning remixes, jokes, and fan art.
Overview
Bison Tossing Man In Yellowstone Video, also called Man Gets Tossed by Bison, Bison Throws Man in Yellowstone, or Bison Attacks Old Man in Yellowstone, is a viral clip captured at Yellowstone National Park in mid-July 20261. The footage shows an agitated bull bison charging at an older tourist inside Bridge Bay Campground and flipping him high into the air before he crashes back to the ground. The victim was later identified as Carl Isom-McDaniel, who according to reports suffered multiple broken bones but survived the attack3.
The video was shot by Mike MacLeod, a professional photographer from Bozeman, Montana, and a former Army combat photographer, who was staying at the same campground when the animal appeared1. MacLeod kept filming from a safe distance as the bison moved through the campsites and charged a group of children taking cellphone photos, who scattered safely1. The animal later wallowed in a dirt patch before targeting the older man, walking with his grandson at more than 100 yards away2. The mid-air moment of impact, paired with reactions across Facebook, X, and Reddit, drove heavy remix activity and news coverage throughout mid-July 20264.
How It Spread
How to Use This Meme
The clip is typically used as a reaction video for scenes of unexpected calamity, or as a punchline about tourists ignoring wildlife safety warnings. Common conventions include speeding up the footage, pairing it with slapstick soundtracks like "Yakety Sax," and captioning stills of the mid-air moment with jokes about karma, physics lessons, or ruined vacations. Some remixes lean into the "national parks are not petting zoos" angle, splicing the clip with older Yellowstone signage or ranger warnings for extra bite.
Cultural Impact
Fun Facts
- Mike MacLeod is a former US Army combat photographer, which he credited for helping him track the animal's movement through the campground
- The bison had already charged a group of children taking cellphone photos earlier that evening; they scattered safely
- MacLeod's Facebook still image of the mid-flip moment pulled over 10,400 reactions and 3,300 shares in two days
- Reporter Deion Broxton's 2020 bison retreat clip resurfaced alongside the video as a running joke
- Artist Travis Chapman turned the moment into a painting that hit nearly 200,000 X views in six hours
Derivatives & Variations
Sped-up "Benny Hill" edit by magills_ pairing the clip with "Yakety Sax"[5]
Deion Broxton bison reporter mashup shared by Lizzs_Lockeroom[6]
Travis Chapman's painting of the man being flipped, shared on X and r/Paintings[8]
Frequently Asked Questions
References (9)
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