In Yellowstone National Park on Saturday, an 83-year-old woman was seriously hurt when she was gored by a bison, officials said in a news release on Monday.
While it was just a few feet away, the bison “defended its space.” Park officials say it then used its horns to lift the woman from Greenville, South Carolina, about a foot off the ground.
The report says that the event took place near the Storm Point Trail at Yellowstone Lake in Wyoming. The woman was taken by park police to Lake Medical Clinic in Village Lake. From there, she was flown by chopper to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
On Monday, officials wouldn’t say anything about the woman’s situation and said the incident is being looked into.
“Bison have hurt more people in Yellowstone than any other animal,” said officials from Yellowstone National Park. The animals aren’t mean most of the time, but park officials say they will defend “their space” if they feel threatened.
“They can run three times faster than people and are unpredictable,” the news release says.
People should stay at least 25 yards away from bison, according to Park.
People who go to national parks and don’t listen to warnings about wildlife and natural risks can get hurt.
Visitors to Yellowstone are warned that the park’s animals “are wild and can be dangerous” if they are touched.
If you see an animal near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or built-up area, give it some room. “You must stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves and more than 25 yards away from bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes,” the park said in a news release on Monday afternoon.
The park says that male bison can be as heavy as 2,000 pounds. Even though they are big, they are quick and can jump over things that are about 5 feet high.
This week, people who go to parks were also told that elk with babies can be very dangerous.
