A 71-year-old woman was gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday, the third incident of a park visitor being attacked by a bison since May.
A park official told ABC News that the woman and her daughter approached the bison while walking back to their vehicle near Yellowstone Lake. This caused the bison to charge at them and attack the woman.
The woman’s injuries were not life-threatening and she is recovering at a Wyoming hospital.
This comes after a Colorado man was attacked by a bison on Monday near Old Faithful while walking on a boardwalk with his family. It was unclear if the man had approached or been too close to the animal or if the attack was unprovoked.
On May 30, a woman from Ohio was attacked by a bison after approaching it within 10 feet.
Park regulations require visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from bison because they are unpredictable animals. Bison can run three times faster than humans and have injured more people in the park than any other animal.
Dennis Jorgensen, the bison program manager at World Wildlife Fund, told ABC News that while “bison are generally more intent on grazing, mother bison are extremely protective of their calves in spring and bulls can be more aggressive in July and August during the rut when they are competing for the attention of females.”
When bison feel threatened, they may give warning signs such as bobbing their head, pawing or snorting.
Yellowstone will be reopening the remainder of the park this weekend after heavy flooding closed portions of it early in June.
Correction: An earlier version incorrectly stated visitors are warned to stay at least 25 feet away from large mammals in the park. The correct distance is 25 yards.