Woman flown to hospital after being gored by bison in Yellowstone Park
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK – A South Carolina woman was seriously injured after being gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park.
A news release from the National Park Service reports it happened near the Storm Point Trail at Yellowstone Lake on June 1.
The bison came within a few feet of the 83-year-old woman because it was defending its space. It attacked her with its horns and lifted her about a foot off the ground.
Park officials do not specify the woman’s specific injuries, but she was taken by ambulance to the Lake Medical Clinic in Yellowstone before being flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.
The bison attack remains under investigation.
Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal. Bison are not aggressive animals, but will defend their space when threatened. They are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans.
Yellowstone park rangers are reminding visitors to be safe around wildlife and offer the following tips and suggestions:
- View wildlife from a safe distance and move away if they approach you.
- When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot or in a developed area, give it space. It is your responsibility to stay more than 25 yards away from all large animals, which includes bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes.
- Stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.
Click here for additional safety tips and to learn more about how to behave around wildlife.