- A tourist in Poland was charged by a European bison in Białowieza Forest
- The man lay on the ground as the bison stood calmly over him and knocked him down
- Photographer Grzegorz Rynski helped the tourist escape by driving his car nearby
A tourist in Poland had a terrifying encounter with a wild European bison after getting dangerously close to the massive animal in the Białowieza Forest. The incident was captured by nature photographer Grzegorz Rynski, who witnessed the encounter and later shared the footage on Facebook. Local witnesses said the man had approached within roughly 13 to 20 feet of the bison when the animal suddenly charged.
The video shows the tourist lying on the ground as the bison stands over him, appearing calm but keeping a close watch on him. When the man tries to get back on his feet, the animal quickly moves towards him and knocks him down again.
Ryński, who was filming the encounter, shouted at the tourist to stay still. He then got into his car and slowly drove towards the scene, keeping one door open so the man could climb inside once there was a safe opportunity.
Here's the video:
The tourist eventually managed to move away from the bison and reach Rynski's car.
"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 TVN24, per TVP World.
Rynski's wife, Aneta, was also at the scene and later said the man appeared to have suffered a wound to his calf and several bruises. "A bison is a wild animal. If a person gets too close, the animal may feel threatened and attack," she added.
Białowieza Forest, which stretches along the Poland-Belarus border, is one of Europe's last remaining primaeval forests and is home to a large population of free-roaming European bison. The animals can weigh hundreds of kilograms and, despite their size, are surprisingly agile.
The European bison was once driven close to extinction but has since been successfully reintroduced into parts of Europe. Today, thousands remain in the wild, including in Poland, Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine.
The Polish encounter comes shortly after another bison attack in the US, where a man was seriously injured after being charged by a bull bison at a campground. The animal reportedly knocked him into the air and continued behaving aggressively around people and vehicles.
