She was standing roughly six yards away from the bison when it charged at the woman and her daughter, just outside Old Faithful. While her daughter was able to run away in time, the Mississippi native was snagged by the bison’s horns and tossed upward into the air. Thankfully, she only suffered minor injuries from the incident and was treated at a nearby clinic. If provoked, bison can run up to speeds of 35 miles per hour as well as cover lengthy distances while galloping like a horse.
Speaking about the incident, park spokeswoman Amy Bartlett said “The (woman) said they knew they were doing something wrong but thought it was OK because other people were nearby. People are getting way too close.” According to the guidelines published on the Yellowstone Park site, officials recommend staying a minimum of 25 yards away from animals like bison or deer as well as 100 yards away from more dangerous predators like wolves and bears.
This is the fifth attack by a bison this year in Yellowstone, a somewhat high figure that’s being attributed to increased attendance as well as visitors simply not following the park’s rules about interacting with wildlife. Just last month, a 19-year-old Georgia woman was tossed into the air by a bison when she was hiking off trail in the national park.
It’s unclear if the woman taking the ill-advised selfie was actually able to snap her picture in time before flying through the air. It’s also unclear if her mobile device actually survived the encounter.
