Keep your distance from wild animals while visiting National Parks
"You can judge a bison's mood by its tail. When it hangs down and switches naturally, the bison is usually calm. If the tail is standing straight up, watch out! It may be ready to charge. No matter what a bison's tail is doing, remember that they are unpredictable and can charge at any moment. Every year, there are regrettable accidents caused by people getting too close to these massive animals. It's great to love the bison, but love them from a distance." - U.S. National Park Service website
There is a reason we have pets, but the bison, North America's largest mammal, is a wild animal that can charge at any time when it feels threatened, which happened this Monday when an Ohio woman walked up to the animal, according to CNN news.
According to the National Park Service, the 25-year-old woman was walking on a boardwalk at Black Sand Basin just north of Old Faithful. The bison was walking near the boardwalk as the woman approached the animal, getting within 10 feet of it. The bison gored the Ohio woman and tossed her 10 feet into the air, according to the park service. The woman suffered a puncture wound and other injuries and was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for treatment.
“This is the first reported incident in 2022 of a visitor threatening a bison (getting too close to the animal) and the bison responding to the threat by goring the individual,” officials said in the news release.
"Bison have injured more people in the park than any other animals, and can run three times faster than people," the park service said.
Rules for viewing wildlife, according to the park:
1. Visitors should stay more than 25 yards away from bison and other large animals.
2. At least 100 yards from bears and wolves.
3. Visitors should turn the other way to avoid contact with the animals.
Your life and the animals' safety are worth it, as you can always zoom in to take a great picture while observing animals from a distance.
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