Texas Hiker Tries, Fails to Outrun Bison in Harrowing TikTok Video
This article originally appeared on Backpacker
A Texas hiker who recorded her own goring by a bison in a TikTok video is recovering following a helicopter evacuation and a stay in the hospital, she says in an update.
Rebecca Clark was hiking in Caprock Canyons State Park in the southern part of the panhandle when she came across a group of bison standing near the trail. The POV video she posted of the incident last week shows her moving slowly past the bison as she offers commentary.
“I don’t want to deal with them,” she says as she edges by the animals, which appear to be within about 20 feet of the trail. “I just want to go by, come on, keep going…I didn’t want to go through the bushes again.”
@rebeccaclark Solo hiking at Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway in Texas. I was charged and gored by a bison because I was to CLOSE to be passing them on a trailway They are beautiful creatures protected by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and are a part of the Texas State Bison Restoration Project where the park has restored the historic Charles Goodnight Bison herd (The Official Texas State Bison Herd) to a portion of its former range in the park. I am posting to support safety while enjoying Texas State Parks #TPWD #bisonetiquette101 #hikingsafety #llbean #chaos #rei dumb dumb – sped up – mazie
Just as she passes the animals, one of them, a bull, turns its head, snorts, and begins to charge. Clark curses, turns, and begins to run, before the camera tumbles into a mesquite bush and Clark screams in pain.
In a follow-up video posted to TikTok last Friday, Clark said that she managed to get ahold of help by phone, and had laid in the bush for 50 minutes before rescue arrived. A helicopter collected her from the park, and she ended up in United Regional hospital in Wichita Falls.
@rebeccaclark I am okay! Thank you for all your concerns and to tell you the truth your humor as well. I’m on the road to recovery after a run-in with a bison at Caprock Canyon State Park. #caprockcanyonsstatepark #TPWD #hikingsafety Asking Alll Them Questions Tik – AmongMemes
While bison’s herbivorous habits and cattle-like appearance often lull hikers and park tourists into a sense of complacency, the animals can weigh up to a ton and regularly injure people who approach too close, including 3 Yellowstone visitors who suffered goring injuries in a single month last year. Texas state wildlife managers recommend that visitors stay at least 150 feet away from bison--much farther than Clark appears to be in her video. And with a maximum speed of about 35 miles per hour, it’s safe to say no human is going to outrun them anytime soon.
The animals in question are part of the 200-some-strong Texas State Bison Herd. According to Caprock State Park, like hikers, the bison use park roads to get around.
“Since this is their home, remember that bison have the right of way!” the park writes on its site.
Luckily, Clark escaped from her ordeal alive and without permanent injury: Aside from a “hole in [her] back and lots of stickers and thorns,” Clark says, she’s all right--and that she “still [loves] hiking at Caprock.”
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