(GREAT FALLS) On the afternoon of May 1, a woman from Idaho was butted in the thigh, pushed, and tossed off a trail by a bison in the Old Faithful area of Yellowstone National Park.
According to a press release from Yellowstone, the woman – identified as 72-year-old Virginia Junk – did not see the bison as she walked around a bend in the trail and wasn’t able to move away before the animal dropped its head and pushed her off the trail.
Park rangers responded to the incident and treated Junk’s minor injuries.
Junk was taken by ambulance to Madison Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho.
No citations were issued.
This is the first incident of a bison injuring a visitor in 2018. There was one incident in 2017, and there were five in 2015.
The press release notes that animals in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear to be. When an animal is near a trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space. Always stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards away from all other animals, including bison and elk. If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity.
- March 2016: Majority of recent bison attacks in Yellowstone National Park tied to cell phone photos
- April 2016: Woman could be fined for petting bison in Yellowstone National Park
- May 2016: Why a bison calf in Yellowstone National park was euthanized
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