Yellowstone Insider Your Complete Guide to America's First National Park
Two more people have been injured in encounters with Yellowstone bison.
The first encounter with Yellowstone bison occurred June 23 to an off-duty concession employee in the Lower Geyser Basin area. The victim, a 19-year-old female from Georgia, was coming home from a late night swim in the Firehole River. Three friends accompanied her. While walking home in the dark, they came within 10 feet of a sedentary bison, which proceeded to toss the victim.
Afterwards, the party returned to Canyon Village. After going to bed, the victim woke up feeling ill; the group called the Yellowstone Interagency Communication Center around one in the morning for medical assistance. Rangers proceeded to transport the victim by ambulance to a hospital outside the Park.
The second incident happened July 1 around Storm Point trail near the Lake Yellowstone area. The victim of this attack, a 68-year-old female from Georgia, was hiking when she encountered a bison roughly 300 yards from the start of the trailhead. She continued past the bison, which charged and gored her.
A nearby witness ran to inform a ranger leading an interpretive hike in the area. Around four-thirty in the afternoon, said ranger contacted the Yellowstone Interagency Communication Center. The woman’s serious injuries necessitated ground transport to the Lake Clinic, followed by a helicopter trip to an outside hospital.
The names of these two victims have not been released.
These incidents mark the third and fourth Yellowstone bison skirmish this season. The first occurred May 15 while the second occurred June 2.
As always, visitors are reminded that bison, belying their seemingly gentle demeanor, bison are reactive and territorial creatures. Yellowstone bison are neither tame nor docile. They are not to be approached.
Yellowstone National Park regulations mandate that visitors maintain at least 25 yards distance between themselves and wildlife such as bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes. Visitors should keep 100 yards away from bears and wolves.
