Bison gores Californian near Yellowstone camp
By Cory Hatch, Jackson Hole, Wyo.
July 23, 2009
A bison charged and gored a California man Wednesday in Yellowstone National Park.
The 55-year-old Norco, Calif., man was 10 feet from the animal, taking pictures at the Bridge Bay Campground south of Lake Village about 11:30 a.m. The bison charged and gored him in the upper left thigh.
The victim was taken to St. John’s Medical Center for treatment.
Officials did not immediately release the man’s name.
“This visitor did as many do and got his camera and wanted to take pictures,” Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash said. “But at some point, the two got too close together for the bison’s comfort.”
Nash said park rangers are investigating.
It was the second time a bison has injured a park visitor this year. A bison in the Canyon Village area tossed a 50-year-old Spanish woman into the air as she was talking on a pay phone June 24.
“The first one this year sounded like the woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Nash said. “This one would be the more typical animal-caused human injury. It is still up to the person to ensure that they are a safe distance from the bison.”
Nash said bison injure an average of between two and three park visitors a year.
Park officials recommend visitors stay at least 25 yards from animals such as bison and elk and 100 yards from bears and wolves. Still, Nash said the recommended buffer zone might not be enough.
“If you’re approaching an animal and [it] is reacting to you, then you need to get farther away,” he said. “Each animal in each situation is different.”
“It is getting to be the rut and bison are more aggressive and can be more dangerous in the coming weeks,” Nash said. “People forget about how big and powerful those bison are. [Imagine] what would happen if someone in a compact car going down a side street at 30 miles an hour hit you. It is somewhat equivalent, but [bison] have horns.”
