- A 47-year-old man from Florida was gored by a bison in Yellowstone's Lake Village area on Sunday.
- This is the first reported incident of someone being harmed by a bison this year in the park.
- Yellowstone authorities advise visitors to keep a safe distance from wild animals while visiting the park.
As Yellowstone National Park‘s summer season is just beginning, a Florida man became the first to be gored by a bison Sunday in the park.
The attack against the 47-year-old man from Cape Coral, Florida, occurred at around 3:15 p.m. on Sunday in the Lake Village area of the park.
It was the first such incident of the year, according to a statement from park officials. There were two reported incidents of people injured by bison in 2024 and one in 2023.
The man was gored by the bison after he approached it too closely, he sustained minor injuries and was treated by emergency personnel.
The statement from park officials said that the attack is still under investigation and gave no further details on the man or the incident.
“Wildlife in Yellowstone are wild and can be dangerous,” said the statement. “Wild animals can be aggressive if people don’t respect their space.”
Lake Village, where the attack took place, is an area of campsites, cabins and a lodge on the shore of Yellowstone Lake.
One of the two reported incidents of people gored by bison last year was an 83-year-old South Carolina woman who was seriously injured, per The Associated Press. In 2023, a woman from Arizona was significantly injured.
Tips for avoiding animal attacks
Here are some tips by Yellowstone National Park to help people stay safe around national parks:
- Never approach wildlife. If animals approach you, turn around and move away. If possible, stay inside your car.
- Stay at least 25 yards away from large animals like bison, deer, moose and coyotes.
- For bears and wolves stay even farther away — at least 100 yards.
- When bison are about to charge they often bob their heads, paw at the ground, bellow or snort when they are about to charge. If this happens, walk or run away. Do not stand your ground.
- Pack away food and other items with strong smells.
- Never feed wildlife, if animals grow dependent on food from humans they may become more aggressive and will have to be killed.
- Bison will defend their space when threatened and have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal. They are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans.