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A tourist paid a painful price for invading the personal space of a European bison.
Earlier this week, a man was knocked to the ground in Stara Białowieża, a settlement in the Białowieża Forest area, which contains Poland's largest free-ranging European bison population, after he came within around four to five metres of the animal.
Viral videos show the mammal remaining dangerously close to the tourist who lay on the ground.
Tourist rescued by nature photographer
Nature photographer Grzegorz Ryński, who witnessed and recorded the encounter, instructed the man to not move before using his car to separate him from the bison.
Ryński slowly drove towards the animal and left one of the car doors partly open so the tourist could get inside.
However, the tourist, who was caught by surprise, began moving away on foot, forcing Ryński to reverse alongside him until he reached a safe distance.
"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 private broadcaster TVN24.
Tourist's wife shares injury details
The man's wife, Aneta, who also witnessed the incident, said the tourist had suffered a deep, open wound to his calf and was badly bruised, adding that he would need hospital treatment.
"A bison is a wild animal. If a person gets too close, the animal may feel threatened and attack," she told TVN24.
Experts warn tourists about getting close to bison
Science communicator and journalist Maciej Kawecki also shared the footage on X, criticising tourists who ignore warnings and approach bison too closely.
"There are warning signs everywhere telling people not to approach bison because they are dangerous, powerful animals. But that's not enough," he wrote.
He added, "People still walk right up to them with camera lenses, almost touching the bison."
Largest wild bison population
Białowieża Forest is one of Europe's last remaining large areas of primary forest, and is best known as a refuge for the European bison, the continent's largest land mammal.
Around 1,176 free-ranging European bison were recorded in the Polish part of the forest and surrounding areas at the end of 2025, making it home to Poland's largest wild bison population.
