Will We Learn? Another Gorging At Montana’s Pretty National Park

As I recently traveled through the beautiful state of Montana, seeing towns I had never been to, I also like to head through our national park with the hopes of seeing some really cool animals.

Unfortunately, park officials have had to make some adjustments to Yellowstone National Park like closing walking bridges and extra seating at Old Faithful, to keep the animals and visitors safe. I say unfortunately because it seems like every other week we are hearing about an animal vs. human incident.

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Just this week, Yellowstone National Park had an incident with a 47-year-old woman from Phoenix, Arizona who was gorged by a Bison.

The woman was with a friend when they came across two bison. As they turned to walk away, the bison got ahold of the woman. The woman's condition is unknown at this time, but she did sustain damage to her chest and abdomen.

Yellowstone National Park wants to remind visitors:

• Never approach wildlife
  The animals in Yellowstone are wild and unpredictable, no matter how calm they appear to be. The safest (and often best) view of wildlife is from inside a car. Always stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves, and at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all other animals, including bison and elk.

• Stay on boardwalks and trails in thermal areas
  Hot springs have injured or killed more people in Yellowstone than any other natural feature. Keep your children close and don’t let them run.

• Never feed wildlife
  Animals that become dependent on human food may become aggressive toward people and have to be killed. Keep all food, garbage, or other smelly items packed away when not in use.

• Never park in the road or block traffic
  Use pullouts to watch wildlife and let other cars pass. Stay with your vehicle if you encounter a wildlife jam.

cc: Yellowstone National Park