YELLOWSTONE, WY (
KDVR
— It’s becoming increasingly common and concerning: visitors getting too close to adult bison and other big creatures in Yellowstone National Park.
Rob and Jennifer Gunderson were at Yellowstone celebrating their anniversary when they witnessed something astonishing: people getting extremely close to a massive 1,000-pound bison.
“We had been observing the visitors at Yellowstone over the last few years, and we kept thinking, there’s absolutely no way people actually experience this firsthand. Yet, here we were, seeing it all as vividly as reality allows,” Jennifer Gunderson stated.
Absolutely astounding. To be honest, it was truly astonishing,” Jennifer Gunderson stated. “While I can comprehend someone wanting to approach and believe they might get near a bison, bringing along a young child is just beyond comprehension.
Fortunately, that family left without injuries, but that isn’t always the outcome:
On Tuesday, a visitor from New Jersey was injured by a bison.
Following his proximity and that of others to the creature, this served as a somber reminder of the genuine hazards associated with being near sizable wild animals.
The 30-year-old male from New Jersey suffered slight injuries. He received treatment and was taken away by emergency responders.
Other recent occurrences involved a goring in May where a 47-year-old man from Florida sustained slight injuries after he got too close to one of the animals. Additionally, there were two events last summer during which two individuals were reported to have been hurt by bison within the park. There was just
One recorded instance of a bison goring occurred in 2023.
.
As stated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, bison can reach weights of up to 1,000 pounds and lengths of 10 feet.
Rob Gunderson stated, “There are warnings all around us. Yet, people just ignore them.” He continued, “As adults, we understand this mindset. We think, ‘This won’t happen to me,’ but then we end up doing the same things with our children. This was truly bewildering for us overall.”
Should you encounter a bison, wildlife authorities recommend maintaining a distance of over 25 yards from it. This guideline also holds for other sizable creatures such as elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes. For species including bears, wolves, and cougars, experts advise keeping an even greater space of at least 100 yards away.
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