Posted on 01/05/2024 10:50:14 AM PST by Red Badger
Bison are responsible for more injuries than any other animal at Yellowstone, including bears and snakes
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All visitors to Yellowstone National Park are warned to give the animals plenty of space, but sometimes that advice goes in one ear and out the other, as one tourist recently demonstrated. Ignoring official advice not to pet the fluffy cows, the man approached a particularly large bison and asked if he could stroke its fur. Excited, he then asked whether he could ride it before being startled back by the animal's bristling reaction.
A video of the close call (which you can see below) was shared this week via infamous Instagram account TouronsOfYellowstone, which highlights bad behavior at US National Parks, often involving wildlife. Other encounters have included a man tearing off his shirt and chasing bears, a woman burning herself dabbling her fingers in a hot spring, and a person strolling barefoot on Grand Prismatic.
VIDEO AT LINK.............
This particular encounter ended peacefully, but not everyone is so lucky. Bison are responsible for more injuries at Yellowstone National Park than any other animal according to the National Park Service, and although they may seem calm at first, their mood can change in an instant. Last summer, two people were injured by bison at US National Parks within the space of a week.
Bison safety According to a 2019 study by Utah State University, bison injured 56 people and killed two at Yellowstone between 1978 and 1992, and injured a further 25 people between 2000 and 2015. Of those, 10 were thrown into the air, nine were headbutted, and six were gored. Almost half required hospitalization as a result.
Park visitors are advised to stay at least 25 yards (23 meters) away from bison at all times, and remember that the safest place to view wildlife is from your car. Never approach a bison, and be alert for changes in behavior such as animals raising their tails, pawing the ground, and vocalizing, all of which are signs that they are disturbed by your presence and may charge.
For more advice, see our guides how to avoid being gored by a bison and wildlife safety: eight tips for unexpected encounters.
Play stupid games.....
I am distraught. Everyone is stealing my great ideas. I wanted to ride a bison. Never got the chance, they shied away. I see this morning someone stripped off naked and dove into the giant Bass Pro aquarium. Also my idea. They’ve ruined it for me because I don’t want to be perceived as a copycat. Life just isn’t fair.
stupidity must be painful
People are being way too hard on this nice person. The Bison was wagging its tail, and everyone knows that means it is happy to see you!
Yep ... the bison just LOVES to gore things, then stomp them into a bloody pulp. Great fun, bison-style.
Honestly, the world would be better off if the Rangers would just let Darwin have his way with these idiots.
Once the Native Americans killed off the horse, there was no North American animal that was ridable! Old World people had the horse and the donkey.
South Americans had the llama, which was domesticated but not readily ridable.
But the Spaniards inadvertently gave horseback riding back to the Native Americans!
What “close call”? None in video. I was expecting horns, gore and guts following a yippe-ki-yay ride.
Why not just let it happen and film it for the interwebs.
Stupid should hurt...
Those are beautiful animals.
In the “bison” versus “buffalo” wars, here's a nickel's worth of advice:
If yer gonna talk to the animals, don't ask for too much, even if you don't have two bison to rub together.
I'm sorry to hear of this. But have you ever thought about going to an aquarium and jumping into the shark tank? If you are really feeling adventurous, maybe cut yourself beforehand. But don't worry about it being my idea. If you do it, I'll keep my mouth shut.
Disney did a disservice by humanizing animals way too much.
Horses migrated off the North American Continent about 2 to 3 million years ago. They were reintroduced here when the Spanish arrived.
They’re a surly lot.
Yah gotta speak like and American tourist, anyone, anywhere, can understand English if only you speak loud enough!...
” The Bison was wagging its tail, and everyone knows that means it is happy to see you!”
LOL! :) They really love to be scratched under the chin.
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