Girl tossed into the air by charging Yellowstone National Park buffalo

(Reuters) - A nine-year-old girl visiting Yellowstone National Park was struck and thrown into the air by a charging bison, park officials said on Tuesday, but she survived the attack and was released after being treated at the Old Faithful Lodge.

The girl, from Odessa, Florida, was in a group of roughly 50 people who were standing near the bison for about 20 minutes in the Old Faithful Geyser area on Monday before it charged, Yellowstone officials said in a written statement.

The victim, who was not identified, was treated by emergency personnel at Old Faithful Lodge and released. No citations were issued in the incident, the park said.

Millions of visitors travel yearly to Yellowstone, which spans parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, to view wildlife, including its famed bison, also known as buffalo.

Park rules dictate that visitors give animals a wide berth, requiring them to stay at least 25 yards (meters) from bison and elk and 100 yards from predators such as wolves and bears.

In June 2018, a Yellowstone bison gored a woman after a crowd surged within feet of it, according to the park.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Tom Brown)