A US woman has warned of the dangers posed by bison after being violently gored by the animal.
Rebecca Clark was hiking alone at Caprock Canyons State Park in Texas when she started recording a video as she passed by a group of bison.
The video caught the heart-thumping moment the beast turned and charged at her, throwing her into nearby shrubbery.
“He rammed my back and caught me and flipped me in the air, caught me and then flipped me in the air, and flipped me face first into the mesquite bush,” Clark told Good Morning America.
She was left wounded and waited in the bush for nearly an hour before being airlifted to hospital where she stayed for six days.
Fortunately, the bison only caused a flesh wound.
“It could have been my spine. It could have been my organs," Clark said. "And it was literally just the skin on my back that he just gored up and put a pretty good, pretty big hole in me."
The video of the attack has racked up over 2.1 million views on TikTok and sparked debate about how to interact with animals in the wild.
“She needs to keep at least 75 feet, and I would say 100 feet, away from a mighty powerful creature like a bison,” said Jeff Corwin, a wildlife expert.
Almost 50,000 people are injured per year in the United States due to being attacked or bitten by wildlife, according to by the Department of Wildland Resources and Utah State University.
The US National Park Service advises that wildlife observers should stay "at least 100 feet (30 meters) or about two bus lengths away" from bison to ensure their safety.
The service also warned against putting yourself in danger to get the perfect photo.
"The popularity of selfies and capturing any moment through photographs or video is posing a new threat to wildlife and humans," the service said.
"Trigger-happy tourists have started to provoke animals, and in some instances, alter their behaviors as a result.
"Quietly watching from a distance can be even more rewarding than getting the perfect shot. Perhaps you even came here to “get away” from a busy lifestyle and technology.
"So, use your zoom or a telephoto lens, or put your camera down and take a moment to really appreciate what you see."
