Bison gores 72-year-old visitor from California taking photo at Yellowstone, park says
A 72-year-old woman was gored by a bison at Yellowstone National Park, park officials said.
The California woman approached the bison June 25 to take a photo of the animal. The bison gored her and the woman had “multiple goring wounds,” the National Park Service said in a Monday news release.
She was flown by helicopter to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, park officials said.
“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 news release. “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.”
Bison are massive animals and can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, according to Yellowstone. They can travel up to 30 miles per hour and “can be aggressive,” the park said.
“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,” Geremia said.
