A Utah couple was injured Wednesday when a bison butted them as they stood on a boardwalk in the Mud Volcano area of Yellowstone National Park/Kurt Repanshek
A Utah couple touring the Mud Volcano area of Yellowstone National Park was injured Wednesday when a bison butted them on a boardwalk.
Park officials said the couple, Theodore Schrader, 74, and Patsy Holmes, 72, of Heber City, Utah, was taking photographs from the boardwalk when a bison approached them. The bison butted Mrs. Holmes, who then fell into Mr. Schrader, and both individuals fell to the ground, a park release said.
Park rangers responded immediately and transported the couple to the Lake Clinic. Mr. Schrader had minor injuries, while Ms. Holmes was transported by Life Flight to an Idaho Falls, Idaho, hospital, where she was reported in stable condition with unspecified injuries.
Citations were not issued to either individual.
Park visitors should remember that wildlife in Yellowstone are wild. When an animal is near a trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, you should give it space. Park regulations require that you stay 25 yards (23 m) away from all large animals - bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes -- and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves. If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity.
This is the first confirmed incident of a bison injuring visitors in 2017. In 2015, five people were injured after approaching bison.
Comments
when I drove by there last Thursday, I yelled at 3 people who were way too close to three male bison. I'm surprised they didn't cause an incident. When are these stupid idiots going to learn to leave more space for the wildlif.
Animals also move, and slow-thinking visitors need to be aware of this. A few years back I was watching a bison heard near a ranger and her truck when all of a sudden I noticed that the herd had more or less 'swirled' around behind us and surrounded us. We had to keep that truck between us and the beasts as they were getting closer. Nature is fluid and moving. If one is not capable of keeping one's head about them, stay home or in the lodge.