Bison Attacks Two: Yellowstone Buffalo Gores Woman, Injures Teen

A bison attacked two people at Yellowstone National Park in two separate encounters this week. A Georgia woman, 68, was rushed to a local hospital after she was gored by a bison while hiking on Storm Point Trail on Wednesday, according to ABC News.

The Yellowstone National Park bison reportedly “charged” the woman before goring her and inflicting serious injuries. A witness to the buffalo goring quickly notified a park ranger and emergency medical responders were called. The unidentified gored woman was airlifted due to the seriousness of her injuries, CNN reported.

The teen was injured by the bison on June 23. A 19-year-old girl, also from Georgia, reportedly went off the designated trail in the Lower Geyser Basin area after dark. The Yellowstone National Park public affairs office stated that the teen girl and three friends were in the process of returning to their vehicle after swimming late at night in the Firehole River.

The teen girl and a friend encountered a buffalo lying down approximately 10 feet away. The girl’s companion reportedly quickly turned and ran away from the bison, but the girl did not react quite as quickly and was charged by the massive creature. The bison tossed the girl in the air. The friends of the teen took her home, but when she woke up complaining that she was not feeling well, an ambulance was called. The unidentified teen was treated for minor injuries and released from a local hospital.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, a 16-year-old Taiwanese girl was gored by a bison at the park when she stood too close to the animal while posing for a photo in May. The teen sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to National Park Service representatives. The bison gored the girl near Old Faithful at the Yellowstone National Park.

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In early June, a man was also gored by a bison at the park when he chose to stand about five feet from the animal. The national park warns that the bison are “unpredictable” and capable of sprinting three times faster than humans can run.

Yellowstone National Park regulations require visitors to remain at least 25 yards from the bison and other large animals at all times. In addition to the majestic buffalo that roam the park, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, and deer also call the land home. Park visitors are also told to stay at least 100 yards away from the wolves and bears they could encounter during their visit.

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