Viral video shows TV reporter wisely avoiding bison herd

TV reporter Deion Broxton made a quick — and smart — decision when a herd of bison approached. He got the hell out of the way.

And, thankfully for the internet, he caught it all on camera.

Broxton, a journalist with NBC's Montana affiliate, was filming at Yellowstone National Park when the herd apparently got too close for comfort. His reaction was priceless.

"Oh my god, oh my god," he says on camera. "Oh no, I ain't messing with you. Oh no."

Broxton then rushes to a car and packs up his camera. It's funny and honestly relatable — wouldn't you do the same?

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

SEE ALSO: 'The Office' cast members share their favorite cold opens for 15th anniversary

Broxton told Mashable in a phone interview that typically bison don't come so close, but he theorized with the park closed over coronavirus fears, the animals are acting differently.

"The animals feel more free to roam, when there are people and cars around they don’t come so close," he said.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Broxton — who said he has reported from Yellowstone at least 20 times and has experience with bison — figured the animals wouldn't come close to him, but then he saw one particular bison that made him pack-up shop.

"This one wouldn't stop looking at me and started doing a slow trot toward me," he said.

Broxton said he wasn't totally sure if the bison was going to approach him directly, but he wasn't going to risk that. Bison can reportedly run up to 35 miles-per-hour, so it's best to err on the side of caution.

If you look closely, you can even see a few animals on the hill behind Broxton.

Later he posted a video of the herd. "Here's the video of the bison I shot once I got a safe distance away lol," Broxton tweeted.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Broxton definitely made a smart choice to give the animals their space. Bison can weigh around 2,000 pounds and stand six feet tall. And they've been known to attack people who encroach on their space with cameras.

So, again, smart move by Broxton. And the internet got a great video to boot. The reporter said it has been a whirlwind since he posted the fun video, despite typically focusing on hard news.

"It’s been so hard for me trying to keep up," he said. "I thought it would die down today, it hasn’t."