Moment The 72-year-old camper crawls within 10 feet of a bison to take a photo in Yellowstone before being gored and thrown 15 feet into the air
- California woman advanced less than 10 feet from bison in a Yellowstone camp
- A close family watched in horror as the beast knocked her unconscious.
- Rangers warned that ‘aggressive’ bison will charge if they feel threatened
This is the time a 72-year-old caravan advanced within 10 feet of a bison in what turned out to be a costly mistake when it was gored and thrown 15 feet into the air.
The images of the encounter in Yellowstone National Park were taken by another family in the camp, who watched in horror as the creature attacked the woman trying to take a photo.
The California woman was knocked unconscious on the lawn and was later flown to the hospital, but the bison did not damage any major organs.
Park rangers cautioned that visitors should stay within 75 feet (25 yards) of the creatures because they are ‘wild animals’ who feel ‘threatened’ if approached.
Risky Movement: A woman advances within 10 feet of a bison, well below the recommended 75 feet, in an encounter that ended when she was gored and thrown into the air
Jake Larsen, one of the campers who watched the bison attack unfold, told WCCO that “the lady got too close” and added, “She was still taunting the bison.”
Her sister Jenna said “it was just an accident waiting for it to happen”, and recalled how she could “hear the bison making noises and blowing steam.”
‘[The woman] At first they threw her maybe 10, 15 feet into the air and she was unconscious briefly. He got up and hit her again, ” said her mother Jodi.
Jodi, a nurse, went to help the woman with some blankets before they transported her to the hospital without remembering what had happened to her.
Park rangers said she was flown by helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, but was later released after suffering only “throat marks.”
“The series of events that led to fouling suggests that the bison was threatened by being repeatedly boarded within 10 feet,” said bison biologist Chris Geremia.
‘Bison are wild animals that respond to threats by displaying aggressive behaviors such as kicking the ground, huffing, shaking their heads, bellowing, and raising their tails.
‘If that doesn’t make the threat (in this case it was a person) move away, a threatened bison can attack.
“To be safe near the bison, stay at least 25 yards away, walk away if they approach, and run away or seek refuge if they carry.”
The images of the encounter in Yellowstone National Park were taken by another family in the camp, who watched in horror as the creature attacked the 72-year-old.
In March a bison is pictured in Yellowstone National Park. Rangers say creatures can become aggressive when threatened
The California woman is not the first visitor to Yellowstone to infuriate a bison. In 2015, two people, including a 62-year-old Australian, were harassed in three weeks.
The other victim was a 16-year-old girl from Taiwan who was hospitalized after being attacked while posing for a photo near the animal.
In 2018, another California woman, Kim Hancock, 59, was rushed to a hospital with a hip injury after being run by another bison.
And in May of this year, a woman was shot down when she got too close to a bison near the popular Old Faithful geyser after the park was partially reopened.
A male American bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and can run up to 40 mph, experts say.
The latest incident is under investigation, park rangers said, warning that guests should stay away from wild animals in camps and parking lots.
The 25-yard distance also applies to elk, deer, elk, and coyotes, while visitors must stay at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, rangers say.
Bears have killed at least seven people in Yellowstone since the park was established in 1872.
.
