Good God, people…
It should go without saying, but that’s why you don’t get close to bison.
For like the 10,000th time, they’re not cows and you’re not at a petting zoo… you’re at Yellowstone National Park, home to arguably the United States’ most lethal collection of animals.
Bison, wolves, elk, bears, and plenty more, are all capable of killing you, and believe it or not, it’s bears or wolves that hurt people the most. It’s actually bison that cause the most injuries at Yellowstone.
Why? People like this…
Bigger than you think, faster than you think, and freakishly powerful, bison will think nothing of running you down, plowing you over, or if you’re a 9-year-old Florida girl… launching you to the moon.
Back in 2019, the girl was part of a tourist group of about 50 people near Observation Point Trail, near the iconic Old Faithful Geyser. According to reports from park staff, the group got within 5-10 feet of the bison and were close for approximately 20 minutes before the charge.
When her family was charged, everybody scattered, leaving the 9-year-old high and dry (way to go mom and dad), and the bison locked eyes on the young girl.
Running her down in a matter of seconds, the bison struck her with its big and powerful head, and lifted her high into the air.
Thankfully, the little girl was treated and released from a park medical clinic and seemingly had no real injuries save for some bumps and bruises, but the situation could’ve much, much worse.
Hopefully dad learned a valuable lesson about wildlife… and keeping an eye on his kids.