(GREAT FALLs) A woman was attacked by a cow elk behind the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel in Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday.
This is the second such encounter in less than 72 hours.
According to a press release from Yellowstone National Park, Penny Allyson Behr of Texas was attacked by the elk in what is described as "an accidental encounter" behind the hotel on the morning of Tuesday, June 5.
Behr, 53 years old, was walking between two cabins when she was surprised by an elk bedded along the cabin wall with a calf nearby.
The woman tried to back away, but the elk pursued and struck her with its legs in the head and torso.
Behr was taken by ambulance to Livingston Memorial Hospital; her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
There are no indications that Behr violated any park rules or guidelines, and she was not cited for the incident.
Yellowstone National Park says that it is very common for cow elk to aggressively defend newborn calves and hide them near buildings and cars.
They advise people to be extra cautious anywhere elk and calves are present, and to approach blind corners slowly and maintain a safe distance (at least 25 yards).
Park staff do not yet know if this was the same elk involved in the incident on June 3.
Rangers hazed the elk away from the cabins and continue to monitor the area.
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