A bull bison at Yellowstone National Park charged a group of people ignoring park safety rules and tossed a 9-year-old girl into the air Monday afternoon in the Old Faithful Geyser area.
For 20 minutes, tourists approximately 50 in number got to within 5 to 10 feet of the bison near Observation Point Trail before the bison turned on the crowd, Yellowstone National Park announced Tuesday.
The girl, from Odessa, Fla., was taken by her family to Old Faithful Lodge and treated by park emergency medical providers. She was later taken to and released from the Old Faithful Clinic. A park official told USA Today/For The Win Outdoors that “we are unable to provide the extent of the girl’s injuries, but we do know that she was treated and released.”
No citations have been issued, but the incident is under investigation.
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“Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are wild,” Yellowstone National Park said in a statement. “When an animal is near a trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space. Stay 25 yards away from all large animals—bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes, and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.
“If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity.”
Several bison incidents have occurred each year for the past five years, largely because of people not following the rules.
On its website, the Yellowstone National Park says, “Yellowstone’s scenic wonders are sure to take your breath away: don’t let them take your life. From boiling hot springs to thousands of wild animals, some of the hazards in Yellowstone will be new to you. Protect yourself and the sights you plan to enjoy by following a few simple rules.”
Among those rules are to never approach animals, never feed wildlife, and stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas.
Generic photos courtesy of Wikipedia Commons and Yellowstone National Park.
