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Teen Gored By Bison At Theodore Roosevelt National Park

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Bison herd a Theodore Roosevelt National Park/NPS, Jeff Zylland

A Colorado teen who walked between two bison at Theodore Roosevelt National Park that moments before had been fighting was gored by one of the bison/NPS file, Jeff Zylland

A teenager from Colorado was gored in the thigh and tossed into the air at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota by a bull bison that just moments earlier had been fighting with another bull.

The teen, who was not identified because of his age, was taken by helicopter to a Bismack hospital following the incident late Saturday morning. He was reported to be in stable condition.

The 17-year-old had been walking along the Lower Paddock Creek Trail near the Halliday Well trailhead when the bull charged him.

"A witness stated that the visitor was walking the trail; a herd of bison was nearby. Two bull bison had been fighting moments prior and were on either side of the trail when the visitor walked between them," said park spokesperson Eileen Andes. "One bull charged from behind, striking him in the back and goring the back of the right thigh, tossing him about six feet into the air."

Park rangers and paramedics provided initial medical care to the teen before he was taken to Bismarck.

Earlier last week a 9-year-old girl from Florida avoided serious injury at Yellowstone National Park when a bison head-butted her into the air.

Comments

Walked in between them?   Removal of the broken genetic code will help the species.


I don't completely agree with Robert Eidson.  I've lived long enough to see many people who society acclaimed, for this or that superficial reason, to be "genetically superior" turn out to be total, often malicious, clowns.  However, walking between animals of any species who are already engaged in a conflict is likely be perceived, even by supposedly "dumb" animals, as irritatingly disrespectful.  Anyone who has ever stepped in to try to break up a bar fight should be able to relate and a 17-year-old should have been mature enough to sense it.


Exactly!! Lol. Not the animals fault!! 


 I don't know but I've been told stupid people don't live to grow old. 


I think the editor will remember a time that a bull bison got really mad at us in the North Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Caution was taken when we waited a while for that guy to clear the trail so we could get by. 


He did cut an imposing figure, Mike....and for those wondering, this image was made with a zoom lens.


We camped in Theodore Roosevelt NP 2 years ago.  Bison roam freely including through campgrounds and you have to respect their space.  We were hiking and saw a group passing way up a hill and we didn't move until they passed on.  Too many visitors think they are in a zoo, a petting zoo no less.  Today's story of a man petting a bison in Yellowstone is another in a series of people taking stupid risks for themselves and others.  


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