Yellowstone Park has become a breeding ground for dangerous and avoidable incidents as visitors try to capture the moment in close proximity to a host of wild animals. This particular case involves a 43 year-old Mississippi woman who casually turned her back on a Bison only 6 feet away. Even more worrying, she was accompanied by a young child who could have been seriously hurt. As she lined up the photograph, the Bison hurtled towards her and started a pursuit. In a move which almost redefines stupidity, the woman believed she could outpace the animal. A statement released from the park service outlined the course of events:
“They heard the bison’s footsteps moving toward them and started to run, but the bison caught the mother on the right side, lifted her up and tossed her with its head,”
Colleen Rawlings, a ranger in the park’s Old Faithful District added,
“The family said they read the warnings in both the park literature and the signage, but saw other people close to the bison, so they thought it would be OK,”
“People need to recognize that Yellowstone wildlife is wild, even though they seem docile. This woman was lucky that her injuries were not more severe.”
This exemplifies how easily people can be distracted by the selfie craze which could have resulted in disastrous consequences. Strangely enough, the term “wild” refers to an uncontrollable beast, so it is bizarre to see people acting in such a cavalier fashion. Perhaps this particular animal was upset because she rudely turned her back and didn’t say Bye….son/Bison. Joking aside, it’s shocking how commonplace these events are and I hope the press coverage will make people prioritize their safety above any kind of photograph.
Could have been worse I guess, remember the guy trying to take a selfie with a moving train?
Thank you CNN for providing us with this information.
Image courtesy of The New York Post.
