A Florida man is alive after being gored Sunday by a bison in Yellowstone National Park, park officials report.
At about 3:15 in the Lake Village area of the park, a bison gored a 47-year-old Cape Coral, Florida, man after he approached it too closely, says a Wednesday statement by the Yellowstone National Park’s public affairs office.
The man sustained minor injuries. Emergency medical personnel treated him, and officials are investigating the incident, says the statement.
This is the first reported bison goring of 2025. There were two reported gorings in 2024 and one in 2023.
Also in July 2023, a woman suffered ghastly injuries when a bison charged and stomped her in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, according to reports.
Keep Away
The danger of bison attack ramps up during the spring and summer as bison enter the rut, or mating season. That means that bull bison in particular can become especially aggressive.
Last year, the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board launched its Selfie Control Instagram app. Tourists can download it to their phones to help ensure that they’re keeping the rerecommended safe distances from wildlife — at least 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from other animals.
The National Park Service also emphasizes its usual warnings about staying safe while visiting Yellowstone and that wild animals can be dangerous.
That includes them becoming aggressive if people “don’t respect their space,” the agency reports.
“It is your responsibility to stay more than 25 yards (23 meters) away from all large animals — bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer moose and coyotes,” the Park Service says in a statement about Sunday’s goring. “And at least 100 yards (91 meters) away from bears and wolves.”
Bison especially can be ornery if they feel someone is in their space, the NPS reports.
“Bison will defend their space when threatened and have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal,” the statement says.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com and Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
