Yellowstone National Park Press Release
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — A 47-year-old woman was gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) on Monday, the Park announced.
The woman was walking with another person in a field near the Lake Lodge Cabins when they happened upon two bison. They turned and walked away from the animals, but one bison charged and gored the woman.
The woman sustained “significant injuries to her chest and abdomen,” according to YNP. She was evacuated by helicopter and taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. No further details about the woman’s condition are available. The incident remains under investigation.
It is unknown how close the visitors were to the bison when it charged. YNP reminds visitors to stay more than 25 yards away from bison and other large animals, including elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes. The Park recommends at least 100 yards of distance between humans and bears and wolves.
Bison can be extra aggressive during mating season, which is typically mid-July to mid-August. YNP says that bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans.
This is the first reported bison goring incident this year. Three visitors were gored by bison last summer, with the last reported incident happening in June 2022.
