Yellowstone National Park reopened Monday, and it didn’t take long before its first recorded incident involving a disobedient tourist and a dangerous bison.
A female visitor who approached a bison too closely Wednesday afternoon was knocked to the ground and injured while in the Old Faithful Upper Geyser Basin, the park announced. It was the first incident of a bison injuring a visitor in 2020.
Emergency medical providers were called to the scene and assessed the woman’s unidentified injuries. The woman refused to be transported to a medical facility.
The incident remains under investigation.
Park officials constantly are warning visitors to follow the rules when viewing wildlife, and that is to give animals space: 25 yards away from bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes; 100 yards away from bears and wolves.
“If need need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity,” the park stated.
Also on FTW Outdoors: Watch ice fisherman pull a 50-pound fish through tiny hole
There are 4,829 bison in Yellowstone, according to the park website. Bison weigh up to 2,000 pounds, and can be aggressive. They are agile, can run up to 35 mph, jump over objects 5-feet high, and possess excellent hearing, vision and sense of smell.
The park offers these simple rules to protect yourselves while visiting:
Never approach animals. The animals in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear to be. The safest (and often best) view of wildlife is from inside a car. Always stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all other animals, including bison and elk.
Stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas. Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature. Keep your children close and don’t let them run.
Never feed wildlife. Animals that become dependent on human food may become aggressive toward people and have to be killed. Keep all food, garbage, or other smelly items packed away when not in use.
Never park in the road or block traffic. Use pullouts to watch wildlife and let other cars pass. Stay with your vehicle if you encounter a wildlife jam.
Photos of Yellowstone bison courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.
