Boy Injured By Yellowstone Bison
By News Release on Jun 30, 2008 in Featured
A 12-year-old Pennsylvania boy was flipped in the air by a bison near the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Friday morning. A mature bull bison, apparently annoyed at the close proximity of the boy, tossed him approximately 10 feet in the air.
Witnesses said the boy was posing with members of his family within 1-2 feet of the animal despite repeated warnings from other visitors. The incident occurred just off the trail adjacent to the Uncle Tom’s Trail parking lot along the South Rim Drive of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
The bull’s horns did not puncture the boy. The only outward injuries he suffered were abrasions possibly received from hitting the ground after the fall.
Because the boy complained of abdominal pain, he was transported by ambulance to the Lake Clinic and then flown to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls. The name and hometown of the injured juvenile aren’t being released. His current condition is not available.
Visitors are urged to be very cautious around the park’s wildlife. Extremely serious injuries or death can result from approaching wild animals too closely even if they appear docile. Park regulations require that a minimum distance of 100 yards be maintained from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from all other animals.
Loading ...
Oh. My. Word.
What a moron.
“STAY BACK” means stay back. Tough way to have to learn such an obvious lesson, but it could have been much worse. Glad the boy wasn’t injured more seriously, but sorry he didn’t pay attention to warnings.
Buy them books,….send them to school,…but they still don’t listen.
The parents of that child should be whuped. Even if the boy didn’t pay attention, the parents/family should have known better, he could have been killed. BTW, if a bison kills an uncooperative visitor, they aren’t taken down such as with bears and other predators. They figure that if a grazer such as bison attacked you, you were obviously at fault. No harm will come to the bison. I hope the parents receive a hefty fine, there are plenty of warnings posted everywhere in the park and in the handouts one receives at the gate.
I hope that incident will stay with the kid for the rest of his life. The bison that flipped him taught the kid a good lesson that there are reasons why it’s important to always obey warning signs and rules.
I’ve come off a trail walk at Yellowstone to discover that my parked car was surrounded by bison, some crossing the road, some just hanging out in the parking lot, looking almost like bored teenagers. What do you do? Sit down and wait until they leave. Period. The park is awash with signs telling people not to be idiots around half-ton wild creatures. Yet people ignore the warnings every day. I have seen any number of tourists within three feet of a bison, or even trying to lean against one like it’s a big stuffed animal. In those moments the wisdom of Charles Darwin is all too apparent.
These are often the same geniuses who think the boring old wood path through the hot springs is just too restrictive for them.