Yellowstone National Park: Bull bison gores visitor, advisory issued to stay away from animals

A visitor was gored by a bull bison in just reopened Yellowstone National Park, one of the largest national parks in the US, officials said.

The 34-year-old male from Colorado Springs, Colorado, was gored by the bison near Giant Geyser at Old Faithful, one of Yellowstone National Park's most iconic attractions, park officials said on Wednesday in a social media post.

"The male was walking with his family on a boardwalk when a bull bison charged the group. Family members did not leave the area, and the bull bison continued to charge and gored the male," said the officials, adding that the visitor sustained an injury to his arm and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

"Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are wild and can be dangerous when approached! When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space," they said, noting that bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans.

They urged visitors to stay more than 23 metres away from all large animals, and at least 91 metres away from bears and wolves.

In their new advisory to visitors, the officials of the park said animals in Yellowstone National Park are wild and can be dangerous when approached.

New Advisory

"When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space. Stay more than 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 proximity," they cautioned visitors. Bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans, they added.

This is the second reported incident so far this year of a visitor getting too close to the animal and the bison responding to the perceived threat by goring the individual.

A 25-year-old female from Ohio was gored and tossed over three meters into the air on May 30, and sustained a puncture wound and other injuries.

Yellowstone closed for more than a week earlier this month and partially reopened last week after an unprecedented flooding that caused severe damage to roads and other critical park infrastructure.

Summer is usually the busiest season in Yellowstone.

The 8,991-square-km wilderness recreation area, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho, attracted approximately 4.86 million visitors last year.