According to the National Park Service (NPS), a bison gored a woman who was visiting Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday. This is the second time a bison has hurt a park visitor this week.
The 71-year-old Pennsylvania woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken by emergency medical services to West Park Hospital in Cody, Wyoming.
According to a press release from the park’s superintendent, the woman and her daughter unintentionally approached the bison as they returned to their car at a trailhead. This caused the animal to charge.
The incident comes just one day after a bison hurt another tourist in the park, NPS stated on Thursday. The park service said that the attack on the woman was the third instance of a visitor coming too close to a bison this year, causing the animal to hurt them because they are perceived as a threat.
On Monday, a 34-year-old Colorado man was attacked by a bison in the park after strolling with his family along a boardwalk close to Old Faithful’s Giant Geyser. According to park officials, the man’s arm was injured after the bull bison charged and gored him when family members refused to leave their spot. An investigation began after the man was brought to a hospital.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the first recorded occurrence of the year occurred at the end of May when a bull similarly gored a 25-year-old Ohio woman. According to a prior news release, the woman approached a bison close to a boardwalk at Black Sand Basin and ended up with a puncture and other wounds.
According to park officials, she approached a bison, coming within 10 feet of the animal, and was thrown 10 feet into the air.
Bison have hurt more people than any other animal in Yellowstone, according to the NPS, noting bison are unpredictable and can sprint three times as quickly as humans. The park administration urged visitors to keep at least 25 yards away from large animals.