Yellowstone urges common sense amid bison attacks

Associated Press

CHEYENNE, Wyo.

A pamphlet drawing of a man being gored and flung into the air graphically warns tourists in Yellowstone National Park not to get too close to bison: They’re wild animals and can be very dangerous.

Rangers distribute the flier to people as they enter the park, but some visitors still aren’t getting the message. Bison have gored two people in the Old Faithful area within the past three weeks.

Increased tourism – up 18 percent in the park May compared with the same month last year – has put more people close to the animals, Yellowstone spokeswoman Traci Weaver said.

“There’s just a lot of people around, and the temptation is there when a bison looks calm,” Weaver said.

Still, she said the two attacks in such a short period were a statistical anomaly.

The latest attack Tuesday was an especially violent scene, as a bison charged a 62-year-old Australian man and flung him into the air several times.

A male American bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds. They have horns that aren’t just for grubbing around for tasty shoots.

The unidentified Australian was flown by helicopter to a hospital where he was treated for serious injuries and released Tuesday night.

The attack happened as a group of people crowded near the bison as it lay on grass near a paved trail. The man was taking photos of the shaggy beast from just a few feet, but the whole crowd was much too close, park officials said.