Bison are surprisingly fast and agile, despite their incredible bulk. But can the colossal critters at Yellowstone National Park actually jump?
On Saturday the U.S. Department of the Interior shared a rare image that shows a bison leaping fully off the ground, with the Facebook description: “No, the bison at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming haven’t learned to fly. Yet.”
The agency added: “Despite weighing as much as 2,000 pounds, bison are agile and can run up to 35 miles per hour. They can jump over objects 5 feet high and have excellent hearing, vision and sense of smell.”
The image was captured by Alex Walczak, who recalled: “There was a whole group of them rolling around and I noticed a young bison running all over the place on the hill. I got this photo while it was in the middle of jumping and kicking like a bronco.”
While bison are omnipresent at Yellowstone, they’re usually fairly docile and are not often seen sprinting or jumping. However, they wage epic battles during the summer rut, or mating season.
Viewers who wish to get a sense of a bison’s speed can click here to watch video footage captured in February 2019.
–Image courtesy of Alex Walczak, via the U.S. Department of the Interior
