Tourist Has Narrow Escape As Bison Charges And Knocks Him Down In Poland

A tourist in Poland had a narrow escape after a wild European bison charged at him in the Białowieża Forest, knocking him to the ground during a dangerous close encounter. The incident was captured by nature photographer Grzegorz Rynski, who witnessed the episode and later shared footage of the encounter. Local witnesses reported that the man had approached to within roughly 13 to 20 feet of the animal before it suddenly charged.

The footage shows the tourist on the ground while the bison remains nearby and watches him closely. When the man attempts to get back on his feet, the animal moves towards him again and knocks him down. Rynski, who was recording the incident, shouted at the tourist to remain still before moving towards the scene in his car.

Rynski slowly drove closer while keeping one door of the vehicle open, giving the tourist an opportunity to reach the car when it was safe to do so. The man eventually managed to move away from the bison and reach the vehicle. Rynski later stressed that the animal should not be blamed for the encounter, noting that the bison appeared relatively calm despite the dangerous situation.

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Rynski's wife, Aneta, who was also present, reported that the tourist appeared to have suffered a wound to his calf along with several bruises. She warned that a bison remains a wild animal and can attack when it feels threatened by a person getting too close. Rynski similarly noted that individual bison can display different levels of aggression, making close approaches particularly dangerous.

The Białowieża Forest stretches along the Poland-Belarus border and is one of Europe's remaining primeval forest areas. It is home to a large population of free-roaming European bison, which can weigh hundreds of kilograms while also being capable of moving quickly. The species was once pushed close to extinction but has since been successfully reintroduced into parts of Europe.

Thousands of European bison now live in the wild across countries including Poland, Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine. The incident in Poland comes shortly after another bison encounter in the United States, where a tourist was seriously injured after being charged by a bison at Yellowstone National Park. The incidents underline the risks of approaching large wild animals at close range, even when they initially appear calm.

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