Some Yellowstone visitors were left reeling from witnessing a bison’s last moments after the animal fell into one of the park’s hot springs.

The incident happened Saturday just before 7 a.m., according to Yellowstone National Park visitors who witnessed the bison’s demise.

“Unfortunately, I witnessed the bison drowning in the Grand Prismatic Springs early yesterday morning,” someone wrote in a June 22 post in the “Yellowstone Through The Lens” Facebook group, where park and wildlife enthusiasts share photos and information about the park. “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.”

Photos show the bison struggling in the spring, thrashing and jumping into the air to try to get away from the boiling hot water.

“These images are haunting,” someone said in the comments.

While it was likely horrific to witness, it is something that happens in the park “from time to time,” Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, told McClatchy News in an email.

“There are occasional reports from observers of wildlife dying in hot springs,” he said in the email. “I can’t tell you exactly how many incidents there are a year (likely many that happen go unwitnessed), but it’s not at all unprecedented.”

Several people commented on the post, some saying it was sad while others said it was fascinating to see nature play out before them.

“What an incredible experience to witness nature’s beauty and fury,” someone else said.

“Such a beautiful and dangerous place,” another person said.

Another person posted photos and videos they had taken of the aftermath in the Facebook group, seeking information about the type of animal they had seen dead at the edge of the spring. They initially thought it was “a massive bear,” they said.

The photos and videos show the spring’s steam causing low visibility in the basin, which some speculated might have confused the bison as it was trying to escape.

“I took a moment to contemplate the story this scene might tell, and the inevitability of life and death,” they wrote in the June 22 post. “While a bit existential, it made for one of my most memorable experiences in nature.”

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