Video Shows Dozens of Yellowstone Bison Stampeding Through Traffic in National Park

A herd of bison in Yellowstone was filmed stampeding through traffic along a road in the Wyoming section of the national park. The footage was taken by ABC FOX Montana journalist Rachel Louise Just, who said she was driving through the park when the bison "decided to conduct traffic their own way." The video shows dozens of bison weaving through the traffic in front of Just's car and crossing the road, kicking up dust in the process. The event took place over the weekend of September 18 and 19. It recently resurfaced after Just posted the footage to YouTube. As of August last year, there were just under 5,000 bison living in Yellowstone National Park, with two main breeding herds—one located in the north of the park, the other in the center. Bison are regularly seen crossing roads in the park. A video posted by visitor Peter Karl earlier in October showed a "bison traffic jam," with a large group slowly walking along the tarmac, stopping vehicles from moving. Stampeding herds like the one filmed by Just are a little rarer, although they do happen and can cause damage to cars caught up. In August last year, one family filming a stampede had their windshield smashed as a large charging bison came directly at their vehicle.

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Another video of a bison stampede was filmed a week before Just's footage was taken. In this video, onlookers filmed as a group of tourists approached a herd of bison at the river in Lamar Valley. Lisa Stewart, who witnessed the stampede, told USA Today/For The Win Outdoors that the bison had been grunting and stomping while moving down the hill for about 10 minutes as the people approached. "They kept getting more agitated by the minute," she is quoted as saying. "You only see about four to six people on the video, but there were more in the same spot the bison come running from. The fishermen grabbed their stuff and ran, and then you see the bison running. "Then all of a sudden you see the bison appear between the fishermen and tourists, then they turn and run toward the tourists. I was scared for a second, but the second wave of stampeding bison turned again and ran across the river to join the herd on the other side." The National Park Service says to stay safe in the park, visitors should "never approach animals" as they are wild and unpredictable, even if they appear calm. People should stay at least 75 feet from bison, it says. Stewart said she was relieved no one was injured in the stampede. "I could feel the earth rumbling under my feet when it was happening," she told For The Win Outdoors. "It was one of those moments your stomach turns over at the split moment you think disaster is about to happen.