Another day, another bison story. I swear, at this point, this sort of article should be my specialty. I have written more about bison incidents than anything else. While people may fear bears and wolves at Yellowstone National Park, it is actually these behemoths that cause more damage than anything. Granted, people probably are smart enough to give wolves and bears more space, but still. At this point, you would assume people would know not to go anywhere near these massive mammals, but alas, here we are. Now, a violent encounter between a man and a bison left Yellowstone visitors shocked. Find out what happened here.
Violent Encounter Between Man And Bison At Yellowstone
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If I told you that this incident occurred with a bison and a man from Florida, would you be surprised? I don't know what it is about Floridians, but they seem to have a special knack for getting into rumbles with wildlife. Whether it is wrangling gators on the side of a highway or getting too close to bison, they always seem to be involved somehow. Similar to many of the other bison goring stories I wrote about, this one occurred because this man got too close. A press release shared by Yellowstone stated the following. "At approximately 3:15 p.m. in the Lake Village area of the park, a man was gored by a bison after he approached it too closely."
Luckily for the Florida man, he only sustained minor injuries and was immediately treated by medical personnel. So, while it seems like he may have some bruising, I assume his pride is more bruised than anything. The national park also shares that "The incident is currently under investigation." After announcing the violent encounter between the man and the bison, Yellowstone shared some helpful reminders about wildlife to keep in mind when visiting the park.
A Not So Gentle Reminder
They remind people that "Wild animals can be aggressive if people don't respect their space." They continue by stating, "Bison will defend their space when threatened and have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal." I'm not sure about you, but that's enough encouragement for me to stay far away from this animal. Additionally, they even remind tourists, in big bold letters, of the exact distance you should keep between yourself and the bison. Here is that warning, " It is your responsibility to stay more than 25 yards (23 meters) away from all large animals - bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes - and at least 100 yards (91 meters) away from bears and wolves."
Finally, if that wasn't clear enough, they even have an excellent illustration underneath of it. This image shows a person taking a photo, and the recommended distance between them and a bison. As well as between them and wolves and bears. If you are bad with numbers, don't worry, they provided visuals. The space they recommend between you and the bison is about two bus lengths. Whereas the space between you and wolves and bears is about eight bus lengths — you're welcome.
The Internet Has No Sympathy
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When Yellowstone shared the news of this violent encounter between the man and the bison, the internet did not hold back. However, they were not mad at the bison. Instead, they felt sympathy for the wild animal and understood its actions. Additionally, many people think the man should have suffered more than just his minor injuries. Here are some of the comments left on the Facebook post.
"I agree a fine should be imposed. There are plenty of signs warning people, but they continue to use poor judgment."
"'Wildlife in Yellowstone are wild' 
The fact that you need to remind people of that will never not boggle my mind."
"Not to add insult to injury, But... The Park should fine people heftily for blatantly violating this rule. Maybe that would deter them from acting the fool. I mean it's one thing if you're hiking and wildlife comes up to you and you can't avoid it. But, when you get out of the vehicle or leave the trail to approach the wildlife."
