Watch Yellowstone Bison Charge at Car, Giving Passengers Extreme Close-Up

A bison at Yellowstone National Park has been filmed charging at a tourist car, with its passengers getting an extreme close-up of the animal.

The video posted to YouTube by wallacedeyoung1 shows a bison running up the road and right toward the car.

"Oh my God," a car passenger can be heard saying as the bison gets closer and closer.

In Yellowstone, the bison population ranges from 2,300 to 5,500 animals. They are huge animals and can become aggressive if they feel threatened. Bison have injured more people in the park than any other animal, including bears. The National Park Service recommends that visitors always stay 25 yards away from them.

Occasionally, bison approach people in cars, as in this instance. In the footage, the running bison slows down and stops in front of the car. A man in the vehicle can be heard laughing.

"Good morning," the man says. "I think we should just hang out here."

"Should we back out?" a female passenger can be heard saying.

"No, I'd just stay right here," the man says.

The bison then slowly turns its head to face the car's passengers.

"Don't look at him," the woman says. "I don't want the car to get rammed."

The bison then slowly turns away from the car and walks away.

"OK, thank you, bye," the man says.

A Yellowstone National Park spokesperson told Newsweek that "the visitors did exactly the right thing by staying in their vehicle and waiting for the bison to pass."

"If wildlife are off the road, visitors should use pull-outs and let other cars pass," the spokesperson said.

Bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and are capable of throwing grown men into the air "like rag dolls," according to the National Park Service (NPS). A 2018 study showed that, on average, bison injure one or two people in Yellowstone every year.

Because of bisons' herd instincts, they are especially sensitive to outsiders and are easily agitated when they feel threatened, according to the NPS website. Despite their large size, they are able to run much faster than humans, up to 35 miles per hour.

But the bison in Yellowstone are very accustomed to seeing cars and are not usually upset by their presence. They may sometimes approach out of curiosity.

If a bison is about to charge, it may turn and make eye contact with a person. This means it is getting irritated. Raising their tails is another sign they might charge.