A 25-year-old woman was badly gored by a bison earlier this week in Yellowstone National Park after she got far too close to the large, unpredictable animal, according to officials.
The woman, who was visiting the world-famous park Monday from Grove City, Ohio approached the animal within three metres (10 feet).
“As the bison walked near a boardwalk at Black Sand Basin (just north of Old Faithful), the female, on the boardwalk, approached it,” the park said in a statement. “Consequently, the bison gored the woman and tossed her 10 feet into the air.”
She suffered a puncture wound and other injuries and was taken to hospital.
This is the first reported incident this year of a visitor “threatening a bison,” by getting too close to the animal, and the bison responding to the threat by goring the individual, the park explained.
Officials said two other people were within 23 metres (25 yards) of the same bison. The park requires people keep at least that distance away from bison.
Misinformation began circulating that the woman died, but the park moved quickly to correct that.
We're seeing a few comments with links to outside articles that the woman died. That reporting has been corrected.
— Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) June 1, 2022
The incident remains under investigation.
Meantime, park officials remind people to steer clear of wildlife — especially bison.
“Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal,” the park said. “They are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans.”
HEADS UP!
— Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) June 1, 2022
A 25-year-old female from Grove City, Ohio, approached a bison to within 10 feet on the morning of May 30, 2022.
Details at: https://t.co/wh2lC3YCGa pic.twitter.com/JZsp0Ox8MQ
