MAMMOTH SPRINGS, Wyo. – A man was recently caught on camera coming dangerously close to a bison as he taunted the animal in Yellowstone National Park.
The incident occurred on July 24, when park visitor Brittney Matthews shot a video of the man and the bison.
In the video, the man can be seen walking toward the male bison, or bull, from behind.
The man approaches the bison.
(Brittney Mathews via Storyful / FOX Weather)
The bull then turns and starts walking toward the man, who slowly backs up and then stretches his arms out.
The man taunts the bison.
(Brittney Mathews via Storyful / FOX Weather)
“Is he calling him out?” someone can be heard saying off-camera.
YELLOWSTONE TOURIST GORED AFTER APPROACHING BISON
The man remains at his spot, watching the bull, until the animal begins walking toward him once again. The man steps away, walking backward.
The bull approaches the man.
(Brittney Mathews via Storyful / FOX Weather)
He then appears to have a standoff with the animal, before it begins moving toward him, forcing him to turn and slowly walk away.
Standoff with the bison.
(Brittney Mathews via Storyful / FOX Weather)
As he walks toward other park visitors, who kept their distance from the bison, he could be heard speaking to another individual off-camera about his close encounter.
“It was really close, man,” he says. “I think it liked me, actually.”
MAN GORED BY BISON AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
In the lower right corner of the frame, the man can be seen talking about how close he was to the bull.
(Brittney Mathews via Storyful / FOX Weather)
The video captures the second time the man walked down to the bison, according to Matthews. She said he had previously walked down to the animal to taunt it.
“When he didn’t get the reaction he wanted from the bison, he walked back up the hill, then decided to try again,” she told Storyful.
The incident comes after several involving park visitors standing too closely to bison in Yellowstone.
Just this year, a New Jersey man was gored by a bison after he and a group of visitors came too close to a bison in June, and a Florida was also injured by a bison in May.
Last year, a bison gored an 83-year-old woman from South Carolina after she came too close to the animal.
One month prior to the incident, a video of a tourist standing too closely to a bison as she took a selfie went viral. She was not injured by the animal.
Woman takes selfie with bison on May 20, 2023 in Yellowstone National Park.
(Storyful / FOX Weather)
Guidance on how to stay safe around bison
The NPS cautions park visitors from approaching wildlife, especially bison. According to the NPS, bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal.
They said bison are unpredictable and provided the following guidelines for park visitors:
- Always stand at least 25 yards away from bison, as they can run three times faster than humans.
- Give bison space when they are near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot or in a developed area. If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity.
- Approaching bison threatens them, and they may respond by bluff charging, head bobbing, pawing, bellowing or snorting. These are warning signs that you are too close and that a charge is imminent.
- Do not stand your ground. Immediately walk or run away from the animal. Spray bear spray as you are moving away if the animal follows you.
Bison can be aggressive and are capable of running up to 30 mph, according to the NPS. Female bison can weigh up to 1,000 lbs, while males can weigh up to 2,000 lbs.
