A woman attending a South Dakota motorcycle rally narrowly escaped after a wild bison attacked her Wednesday night. Authorities claimed that the reason she survived the attack was because her pants fell off.
The woman, 54, was visiting Custer State Park in Custer County when she approached a bison calf, witnesses said. The victim, from Iowa, was in town to attend the 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, an annual event that brings together thousands of motorcyclists for several days.
The woman got off her motorcycle to approach the calf when an adult bison approached her, witnesses said. The bison caught the woman’s belt and jeans at the horn as she swung violently around her, according to a post on the Sheriff County Sheriff’s Facebook page.
She managed to escape death because her pants came off and she unknowingly fell to the ground, with the attacking bison running out to join the rest of the herd after the woman fell, the post said.
Get your unlimited Newsweek trial>
The post insists that visitors should stay in their cars and prevent them from getting too close to the bison. Just days before the incident, another Facebook post had residents and visitors reiterating that they “should not talk to the fluffy cow – also called Bison / Buffalo.”
“Remember this is her park and we are the guests …. please give her a break and keep your distance,” according to the post.
Kobee Stalder, program manager for visitor services for Custer State Park, said Newsweek that in addition to having thousands of extra visitors enter the park due to the rally, the end of summer is also press season for the bison.
“The bison herd is even more temperamental at this time of year simply because it is press season, so they tend to be more aggressive, especially the bulls,” Stalder said.
Get your unlimited Newsweek trial>
He added that the bison in the state park are often found on the road, as they were at the time of the attack.
“If you have a motorcycle that has no protection like a car, it’s a good reminder that people need to be aware,” Stalder said, referring to the sheriff’s message that people should distance themselves from bison to keep.
Witnesses caught the attack on camera, captured the moment the bison grabbed the woman and carried her across the road, seeming to throw her around until her pants fell off.
“Oh my god, it got her,” said a bystander. “Yep, and it’s dragging her,” said another, recounting the attack. Several other motorcyclists had gathered, following the victim until they could help her.
The video, posted to Reddit, ends with one man taking off his shirt to cover the woman’s naked body. The woman suffered serious injuries to her pelvic area and was flown out of the park and to a hospital for treatment, Stalder said.
William Campbell / Getty
This is not the first bison attack to occur this summer. In June, a 72-year-old California woman was camping near Yellowstone Lake when she approached a bison, trying to take the photo. She apparently got within 10 feet of the animal when it charged and bitten her.
“Bison are wild animals that respond to threats by displaying aggressive behavior, such as pawing the ground, snoring, bobbing their heads, bulging and raising their tails,” said Yellowstone Senior Bison Biologist Chris Geremia in comments published by the park. “If that doesn’t make the threat (in this case it was a person) go away, a threatened bison could count.”
Wildlife experts advise people to stay at least 25 meters from bison, walk away when approaching and walk away or find cover when charging.
