A woman visiting Yellowstone National Park died after a bison attacked her, park officials said in a statement on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old woman, who was visiting from Ohio, was not identified in a news release from the National Park Service, as reported by NBC News.
Bison 'Impaled' the Woman After She Approached the Animal
The woman approached the female bison Monday morning after it came close to a boardwalk at Black Sand Basin, near the Old Faithful geyser, the park said.
As she got within ten feet of the animal, the animal "impaled" her and tossed her ten feet into the air, officials said. The victim suffered a puncture wound and other injuries and was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. It is not yet known where she succumbed to her injuries, the outlet said.
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.
Bisons More Dangerous Than Any Other Animal in the Park
Park rules require visitors to remain more than 25 yards from bisons and other large animals such as elk, bighorn sheep, deer, mouse and coyotes. Visitors are told to stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.
Bisons are the largest mammals in North America, are extremely unpredictable and can top speeds of 35 mph and can jump several feet. An estimated 2,300 to 5,500 bison live at the park, and are more dangerous than any other animal in the park. Park officials say the safest place to view animals is from a vehicle.
"Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal. They are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans," parks officials warned.
Earlier this year, a bison was filmed charging at a man after he got too close to the animal at Yellowstone National Park. The clip, shared on Facebook, showed the man slowly walking on a path while the bison is grazing. As he tried to walk by, the bison turned around and took a few charging steps forward at the man, who quickly ran away.
