Horrific footage showing a Bison charging a young girl and sending her flying into the air has been recorded in Yellowstone National Park!
The nine -year-old Florida girl, was exploring the park’s ‘Old Faithful Geyser’ with her family when the incident took place. They were said to have been standing near the Bison for at least 20 minutes before the animal decided that it’d had enough.
The girl was left standing alone as her family dispersed, in order to protect themselves, and was thrown up into the air as the angry bull made contact with her.
After the incident, the girl’s family took her to Old Faithful Lodge where she was assessed and treated by a park emergency medic before being taken to the Old Faithful Clinic. It was determined that she had sustained injuries, but the extent of these injuries was not made clear.
A press release from Yellowstone National Park explains that there were around 50 people who had been stadning near the bison before ‘eventually causing [it] to charge’, though it’s not clear exactly what spurred the animal on.
The press release also pointed out that the wildlife in Yellowstone is exactly that – wild.
Park Official’s advise:
When an animal is near a trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space. Stay 25 yards (23 m) away from all large animals – bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves.
If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity.
A mature bison bull stands at around 6.5 feet (2 metres) tall and tips the scale at up to 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg), according to National Geographic. Despite their massive size, bison are quick on their feet and can run at speeds up to 40 miles an hour when the need arises.
Probably not the best idea to get too close to a wild bison!