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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Video of a tourist trying to get a photo with a bison at Yellowstone National Park is another reminder why visitors should stay a safe distance from wildlife.
The incident happened May 20. Video shows a woman on the boardwalk trying to pet the bison while another lady is holding a camera to take a photo. Within seconds, the bison lowers its head and bucks at the woman with its horns.
She screams and runs away while those in her party walk quickly in the other direction.
This is the second incident caught on camera this month of tourists getting extremely close to wildlife in Yellowstone. Video filmed by Heidi Irby on May 3 shows two men walk up to a pair of bison and try to get pictures next to it.
"Are you serious?" Irby can be heard saying while the men make their way toward the massive animals.
Luckily for the men, the bison didn't react and the men walked away uninjured, but that's not always the case. A man was taken to the hospital last year and another woman was gored and tossed 10 feet into the air in May 2022.
Officials say bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal. They are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans, according to Yellowstone National Park. Visitors are asked to stay more than 25 yards away from all large animals — bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes — and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.
If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity.
