The incident happened on Monday in Stara Białowieża, a settlement in the Białowieża Forest area, which contains Poland’s largest free-ranging European bison population. Witnesses said the man came within around four or five meters of the bison before it charged and knocked him to the ground. Nature photographer Grzegorz Ryński, who witnessed and recorded the encounter, shouted at the man not to 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. The man, however, appeared to be in shock and began moving away on foot, forcing Ryński to reverse alongside him until he reached a safe distance.