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72-Year-Old Tourist Gored by Bison at Yellowstone National Park

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Source: Yellowstone National Park

A 72-year-old visitor to Yellowstone National Park was gored by a bison after reportedly ignoring the park’s guidelines about keeping a safe distance from the large creatures.

According to CBS News, the woman repeatedly approached the animal to take its photograph multiple times before being gored.
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After a 72-year-old woman from California approached within 10 feet of a bison multiple times to take its photo, the animal gored her. The incident occurred on the evening of June 25, 2020, at the female’s campsite at Bridge Bay Campground. Rangers provided immediate medical care to the woman who sustained multiple goring wounds. She was then flown via helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. “The series of events that led to the goring suggest the bison was threatened by being repeatedly approached to within 10 feet,” said Yellowstone’s Senior Bison Biologist Chris Geremia. “Bison are wild animals that respond to threats by displaying aggressive behaviors like pawing the ground, snorting, bobbing their head, bellowing, and raising their tail. If that doesn’t make the threat (in this instance it was a person) move away, a threatened bison may charge. To be safe around bison, stay at least 25 yards away, move away if they approach, and run away or find cover if they charge.” Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are wild. When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space. Stay more than 25 yards (23 m) away from all large animals – bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves. If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity. Protect yourself and the park by taking the #YellowstonePledge and encouraging others to do the same! go.nps.gov/YellowstonePledge

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Visitors are required to stay at least 25 yards from large animals, including bison, elk and moose and at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, CBS reports.

“The series of events that led to the goring suggest the bison was threatened by being repeatedly approached to within 10 feet,” Yellowstone’s senior bison biologist Chris Geremia said in a press release reported by CNN.

“Bison are wild animals that respond to threats by displaying aggressive behaviors like pawing the ground, snorting, bobbing their head, bellowing, and raising their tail. If that doesn’t make the threat (in this instance it was a person) move away, a threatened bison may charge,” Geremia added. “To be safe around bison, stay at least 25 yards away, move away if they approach, and run away or find cover if they charge.”

The unidentified woman, who was visiting the park from California, reportedly suffered multiple goring wounds and was flown to Eastern Idaho Medical Center for further treatment.

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