Meek and mellow? Not me. NPS photo.
Meek and mellow Yellowstone National Park bison most definitely are not. A woman learned that lesson painfully Wednesday when butted into the air by a bison that apparently didn't like the phone call she was making.
The 50-year-old woman, a visitor from Spain, and her husband were using a pay phone in the Canyon lodging area with their backs to the road. Normally that's not an issue, but in Yellowstone, where bison and other wildlife roam at will, these visitors were about to learn you have to be on guard all the time in the park.
According to witnesses, two bull bison walking down the road passed within 20 feet of the couple. One of the bison left the road, walked up behind the woman and butted her into the air. The couple, who were facing away from the road, did not see the bison.
Park officials say the unidentified woman was transported to the Canyon Lodge front desk by visitors, and taken by ambulance to the Lake Clinic where she was released with only minor injuries.
In Yellowstone visitors are urged to be aware of their surroundings and to be very cautious around wildlife, which can be very unpredictable. Extremely serious injuries or death can result from approaching wild animals too closely or allowing wildlife to approach you even if they appear docile. Park regulations require that a minimum distance of 100 yards be maintained from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from all other animals.
Story Categories:
A copy of National Parks Traveler's financial statements may be obtained by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: National Parks Traveler, P.O. Box 980452, Park City, Utah 84098. National Parks Traveler was formed in the state of Utah for the purpose of informing and educating about national parks and protected areas.
Residents of the following states may obtain a copy of our financial and additional information as stated below:
- Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR NATIONAL PARKS TRAVELER, (REGISTRATION NO. CH 51659), MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING 800-435-7352 OR VISITING THEIR WEBSITE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
- Georgia: A full and fair description of the programs and financial statement summary of National Parks Traveler is available upon request at the office and phone number indicated above.
- Maryland: Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are also available, for the cost of postage and copies, from the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401 (410-974-5534).
- North Carolina: Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 888-830-4989 or 919-807-2214. The license is not an endorsement by the State.
- Pennsylvania: The official registration and financial information of National Parks Traveler may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling 800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.
- Virginia: Financial statements are available from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 102 Governor Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219.
- Washington: National Parks Traveler is registered with Washington State’s Charities Program as required by law and additional information is available by calling 800-332-4483 or visiting www.sos.wa.gov/charities, or on file at Charities Division, Office of the Secretary of State, State of Washington, Olympia, WA 98504.
INN Member
The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.
Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.
Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.
You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.
Comments
Last September, the story going around Yellowstone was about a couple who had posed their young child next to a buffalo to take a picture. Someone slammed a car door, startling the buffalo, which tossed the young child into the air. Fortunately, the child was not seriously injuring. You really have to wonder where some people's heads are at with such stunts!
We were in Yellowstone in 2007 and there was a buffalo next to the restroom at the Grand Canyon. A little boy and his sister were starting to go near it so their Mom could take their picture. I told them to "Get away from that animal." They looked at me like I was the meanest person in the world. I looked at the Mom and said "That is a 2000 pound animal and it will kill your son. What the hell are you thinking?" She was just dumb founded and finally gathers the kids and left. The park officials give you a packet of park rules and regs when you enter the park and are encouraged to read them. There is also numerous warning signs throughout the park. I bought the book 'Death in Yellowstone' while we were there and have been quiet amused at the stupidity of things people will do that ultimately causes their death.
Death in Yellowstone is the GREATEST book. Unfortunately, the fools that put themselves in harm's way would either not read it, or read it and take it as a challenge. I have a pic from last summer of two picture-taking fools about 20 - 25 feet from a bison. Nothing happened to them, thankfully, but I almost wish it had so that the 50-or-so bystanders might have learned a lesson. I also have a pic of about 10 people standing less than 15 feet from a Yellowstone coyote. What fools these mortals be.
You definitely have a point, Clint. Many people have little understanding or appreciation for the fact that wild animals are truly wild, and that they can seriously hurt or even kill you If you want to see a classic example of this go to Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park. It is a constant struggle to convince visitors not to approach bears and to take precautions not to attract them.
By the way, based on my experiences, moose are probably more dangerous than bears.
That story you are referring to was reported here. It happened last June - see /2008/06/yellowstone-national-park-bison-unhappy-photo-shoot-tosses-pennsylvania-boy .
This particular case reported here seems to be one of relatively bad luck. However, it's just good to know that bison may look like they just stand there and are barely moving; this is not true. They move all the time and can cover ground very quickly. They can move up to 30 mph, though they usually don't. They do move much faster than you think, though.
A concessions worker in Canyon recently reported being charged by a bison; see http://robyninyellowstone.blogspot.com/2009/06/charged-by-bison.html for her account.
So anyhow, it's helpful to look around wherever you are in the park; however, it's probably not practical advice. Sometimes, there's just bad luck, and that comes with the price of admission. I'm glad the woman wasn't seriously injured.
Jim Macdonald
The Magic of Yellowstone
Yellowstone Newspaper
Jim's Eclectic World
Jim, Bison can move rapidly and for fairly long distance. Two weeks ago we watched a day old bison calf and cow run at least two miles being chased by a grizzly. The bison won the race along the bank of the Yellowstone River in Heyden Valley. Some people literally appear to leave their brains at home when visiting Yellowstone. On the next day, I attempted to exercise some common sense by telling a bunch of people to get back in their cars as a large grizzle was coming downhill toward them and out of their line of sight. The tourist only knew that a bear had been sighted and wanted to see what was going on. They at least listened to me and got back in their cars to be rewarded by seeing the bear pass withing 25 ft of their cars. Yellowstone is, afterall, still a wild place and not tourists back yard.
Don't get me wrong. I do not mean to diminish the possible danger that bears pose; but when I am out hiking in the park I give bison a much wider birth than bears. I have been charged by these big guys from over a hundred yards away. I was watching one roll around in a dust bowl on the other side of the Yellowstone River once when it put its head down, crossed the river and ran right at me! I barely made it back up to my car (which I started walking toward as soon as it entered the river). Another time I was skiing the Tower Road in the winter when a big bull was standing in the middle of the road. I tried to ski past, but every time I tried, it put its head down and started toward me. I had to go way up the hill and around. Also, while driving past a herd on the road last year (something we have all done many times) a big bull head butted my car, leaving quite a dent. Now I don't pass them; I pull over and wait for them to clear the road, no matter how long it takes. Statistically bison are far more dangerous than any other large animal in the park. 98% of the time they just stand there and you go by, but look out if they start staring intently at you!
Personally, and I know this is true of a lot of people who live out here, I'm terrified of moose. They are known to be real bad asses, who will kick the @#$! out of you.
But, I try my best also to give bison space; sometimes, in these car situations, idiots make the situation more dangerous by forcing the bison off the road, sometimes moving them right into the area you are parked - then you are left with little choice. Another time, they came running out the side of the forest, right where I was in a line of cars - there was no way around them - they came to you, and you were stuck, and they were running by the dozens and dozens. Another time, bison were forced right into my parked vehicle by an NPS snow plow, in full run and in a panic. That snowplow's work ended up being pointless, as the road was closed the next day due to snow - all it did was scare buffalo and create a dangerous situation for everyone. I've also seen buffalo while skiing on that Tower Fall road, and once we completely turned around and gave up any hope of getting through - it was too late in the day to wait them out. Another time, they were very intimidating on both sides of the road, and I was amazed out how nonchalant the other skiers were.
Luckily, though, I personally have never been charged by one ... yet. And, I have the sense that usually the buffalo will move on; the moose doesn't seem to have that mentality, and I'm often on the trail - especially in the Tetons - imploring with visitors to be careful about the moose. I'm often surprised we don't read of more incidents in the Tetons. Bison may cause more incidents; their numbers are greater. But, soon, I'm afraid, especially in a place like the Tetons, we are going to hear a real tragedy that knowledge could have prevented.
Jim Macdonald
The Magic of Yellowstone
Yellowstone Newspaper
Jim's Eclectic World
Regarding the story from robyninyellowstone linked above. The rogue bison was 15 feet from a father and young daughter after it had run into and threatened about 50 people for no apparent reason. Given the unpredictable behavior of this bison, and the immenent danger to two individuals who had not provoked the bison, why in the heck did the ranger not shoot the bison in the head instead of shooting into the ground? As far as I'm concerned, the gun shot could have just as well startled it into charging the two innocents. Have the rangers been conditioned to put the life of a rogue bison on the same pedestal as a father and young daughter who did notheing to provoke the bison?
R: Scaring the bison away was likely the safe thing to do. If that shot in the head was anything less than perfectly placed, a wounded bison would have been far more dangerous. Besides, if rangers shot animals every time some idiot did something stupid, soon there wouldn't be any animals left in the park! I remember once over by the lake there was this lady that got too close to a grizzly bear and the bear chased after her. When the rangers arrived we all showed pictures and video of how close the lady had gotten. The ranger said, "Good for the bear" for chasing her, but also said that if we didn't have pictures and video the bear probably would have been put down. Sad.
By the by, the bison in that story did have a reason. It felt threatened by all those people. The park rules clearly state: 100 yards from wolves and bears, and 25 yards for all other large animals. What were the father and daughter doing 15 feet from this bull bison? My guess is that rangers who see this kind of stupidity day in and day out, the last thing they want to do is make the animal suffer for it.
Most people think that bears are the most dangerous in Yellowstone. Bison are the most dangerous. When my wife and I were in Yellowstone NP in June, 2000, there was an exhibit in the Canyon area -- I think at the visitor center -- about bison and the danger they pose. There was a video showing people being tossed in the air as if they were pillows. A photograph showed the front of Chevrolet Suburban pushed in as if the front were made of aluminum foil. Bison can easily run 30 miles per hour and can attain it quickly, a speed far faster than than any human can run.
It is up to people to be aware of the dangers that animals pose, not the other way around. If a person does not care to take precautions or believes that the animals should give way to humans, visiting a zoo would be more appropriate.
If you read the darn story, the father and daughter were in the neighborhood of 100 yards away from the rogue bison in a group of about 50 people with a RANGER! The bisopn charged another individual who headed for the group and the ranger seeking safety in numbers. The crowd scattered, but the father was no doubt hindered by the relatively slow speed of his daughter. These two people did nothing wrong! They were NOT idiots! If the ranger could walk up to within 15 feet of the bison, next to the threatened individuals, he could have easily shot the critter in the head. I would have guessed it was about 50/50 as to what that bison would have done when the ranger shot into the ground.
I really don't think the handgun would kill the bison instantly, but I'm not too educated here. I'd assume, as stated above, it would only make the bison act more aggressively.
Why kill the Bison, it didn't go out of its way to risk its life for a stupid photograph I hope they got there memories worth of what it is like to provoke a large animal.
I came here expecting to see the usual story of people who walk up close to a wild animal, thinking they are cute and cuddly, wanting to get a close-up or pose with the animal, or having something much worse on their minds.
Such was not the case in this story. I actually sympathize with this poor woman, although the warnings to be aware of one's surroundings and cautious around wildlife are to be heeded by everyone.
Folks....they are wild animals. Obey the rules in the brochure that everyone is given when you enter the park and everyone will have a safe and memorable experience. Wild animals are best viewed from a safe distance. Most camera equipment has a zoom feature, use it! Enjoy Yellowstone and be safe. The animals will love you for it! (:
It seems that no matter which park I've gone to, there is a tendency for people (regardless of their age) to ignore the warnings and take chances (e.g. people hiking without adequate supplies). Maybe it's just part of our social nature to try and look cool and not worry about anything even when it involves bodily injury and/or death, or it's just the thrill of doing or seeing something that alot of others haven't.
I think we are gamblers by nature and that no matter how much information is out there about the danger of this or that activity some people are going to play the odds. Most win because the odds are highly in their favor, but occasionally they lose. It's these RARE incidents of injury and/or death that generate so much disproportionate publicity and discussion. Besides, most people probably take their biggest chance by driving the Interstate Highway system to GET to Yellowstone.
The only way for the parks to combat this is to make winning less likely by handing out severe fines when seeing someone break the rules (regardless of the outcome), especially when there behaviour is endangering the lives of those in their care. But stopping these incidents altogether would take alot of manpower and patroling and who wants to visit a natural park when it feels like a police state. Mostly people have to be left to make their own mistakes in these places, even though it truly is a tragedy when someone who doesn't realize the danger (especially a young child) is hurt or killed.
Nevertheless, when I come to Yellowstone this summer, I plan to stay as far away from the bison as I can.
Besides, we have plenty in KY. Now a moose on the other hand...
Yellowstone ain't Disneyland and those critters aren't audioanimatronics! It is always amazing to me the way some visitors seem to leave common sense at the entry gates. Last year we were parked by the side of the road along w/a few other visitors watching (from safely inside our vehicles) a grizzly digging grubs about 25 yds away down a slight hill (again, we were in our truck w/the windows up). Lo and behold, walking next to our truck comes some doofus w/his about 9 yr old daughter to get a closer look. I rolled down the window and said "Sir, that bear is only about 25 yards down the hill". He rolled his eyes at me and made a dismissive gesture and kept on going out of my view. Lo and behold, 5 seconds later, here he comes backing up slowly with his daughter held behind him. No harm done, Mr Bear was much more interested in grubs, but honestly! When at Yellowstone, I give ALL the creatures, great and small, alot of respect and space.
We recently had a guided tour in a bison game reserve here in Kansas. Our guide told us that bison are responsible for more deaths in the U.S. than bears, wolves, sharks, or gators. We were in a well-armored tram when we were taken to view the bison herd. We were strongly cautioned to keep all body parts and cameras inside the tram railing. These creatures were stunning, and we watched them run. It was awesome to see such large beasts move so quickly. We were told they could keep up a brisk pace for up to three days, non-stop.Seeing them up-close and in their habitat was a fascinating, and very educational experience.
I've heard that some people have a "vacation" mentality when seeing animals in the wild. They have some idea that it will be as safe as seeing something on TV, or that they will be somehow protected.