Horrified tourists watched as a bison fell into a Yellowstone hot spring and dissolved.
Yellowstone National Park, located mostly in Wyoming, is home to many wild animals, including moose, grizzly bears, wolves, American bisons, and more.
The national park was established in 1872, and animals have roamed there freely since that day.
But despite the park being home to some deadly animals, it’s the park’s hot springs that have proved to be the real danger.
They have taken the lives of multiple people, including children, over the decades it has been open, with water reaching temperatures of around 93 degrees.
But tourists witnessed yet another tragedy on June 21, 2025, this time involving a bison who lived in the park.
The bison sadly fell into Grand Prismatic Spring at Midway Geyser Basin, near Old Faithful.
A witness posted photos of the incident on social media, and noted that the bison took a couple of steps in, before turning around and returning to dry land.
As he made his way to safety, the bison reportedly paused and stepped into an even deeper area of the nearly-boiling water.
At this point, he became trapped, unable to free himself from the scolding spring.
Speaking to CBS News, Louise Howard, the tourist, said: “Unfortunately, I witnessed the bison drowning in the Grand Prismatic Springs early yesterday morning.
“It took a few steps into a shallow area to the right of the pool, it turned around and stepped out very quickly.
“It stood for a moment, then turned back towards the spring and stepped into a deeper section then couldn’t get out despite trying its best.”
The witness added: “I have a video of it coming up to take its last breath but it’s a tough watch.”
Howard noted that the bison tried hard to escape, but ultimately ‘couldn’t get out.’
The scientist-in-charge at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Michael Poland, suggested that while it is a rare for an animal at the park to lose its life in this way, it’s not unheard of.
He added that many researchers at the park have found skeletons in the spring.
Poland said that the bison’s death would have been a ‘very quick’ one.
Speaking to NBC News, he said: “This bison carcass is basically sitting in a pool of nearly boiling water, and… that boiling water will eat away at the organic material, the tissues, and eventually there will just be some bone.”
The Grand Prismatic Spring is 300 feet wide, making it the the largest hot spring in the U.S., and the third largest in the world.
And despite it’s dangers, the spring is rather beautiful to look at, with orange, yellow, and green rings surrounding the blue water.
