Play stupid games… win stupid prizes.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that getting close to wildlife at Yellowstone National Park is incredibly dangerous, for both yourself and the wildlife.
On top of that, you can face jail time for messing with the wildlife at the park.
Of course, any time you mix people with wild animals, idiots abound.
People choose not to listen, and are willing to risk their safety and their criminal record for the brief feeling and satisfaction of saying you “messed with an animal at Yellowstone.”
Here’s exhibit A.
According to NBC Montana, a small group of bozo visitors (with a small child) approached a bison last year, and needless to say, the bison did not want to be bothered, because it charged right back at the visitors.
In the footage, you can see the bison charge two adults and a child, with one of the adults bailing on the child and running for safety. Tell me why the adults always put their kids in danger and then run away when the bison charges? Blows my mind…
Thankfully, right before the child was about to be railroaded by the charging bison, he’s lifted out of harm’s way by one of the other adults who seems to take a horn in the back in the process.
The bison ended up lifting the man off the ground, and it looks like it may have just got his shirt or jacket, but it’s hard to tell. He may very well have taken a nice jab to the back. Either way, hopefully it was enough for them to learn a lesson.
And of course, the two morons who left the kid high and dry are still standing around like the danger is over. Unreal…
Towards the end of the video, some genius hits the bison with bear spray, even though they’re the ones pestering the bison.
Granted, it appears they are on a designed walking path, but still… you see all the other people in the background standing very far away? There’s a good reason for that…
This could potentially lead to jail time, as a woman who tried to mess with a grizzly bear earlier this year at Yellowstone (shocker, the bear charged at her) landed herself four days in jail for her actions.
I guess we’ll just have to stay tuned.
Gored In The Arm & Taken To The Hospital
According to MSN, the man and his family were walking on a boardwalk near Giant Geyser when a bull perceived them as a threat and charged. While the first attempt missed, the family remained in the area (smart…) and eventually the bison charged again.
Two of the adults fled, leaving a helpless small child behind. A third man grabbed the kid from harm’s way (potentially saving the kid’s life), but took a horn to the arm in the process.
He was sent to the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for care and treatment. No word is out on his condition yet.
Listen, I get wanting to stay around and see as many awesome sights as you can, hell Yellowstone National Park has been on my bucket list for years, but if a freaking bison is getting even relatively near me, let alone my family, I’m getting the HELL out of there.
How many of these stories do we need to hear?
Stay away from the bison, people.
I can’t believe I have to type that out…
Yellowstone National Park Recovery Will Cost Billions
According to the National Park Services (NPS), the re-opening day held less than 5,000 vehicles on a day that would typically have over 10,000 cars visiting the park. The reduction of numbers was a planned change by NPS that allowed only cars with the last numerical license plate digit being odd to enter on odd days of the month, and vice-versa with even numbers and even days of the month. This alternating license plate system is expected to continue throughout the summer tourist season.
These drastic changes to one of the nation’s most popular attractions comes on the heels of record rainfall in the area that led to major flooding.
This flooding damaged infrastructure such as roadways, bridges, trails, and powerlines within the park—in addition, community members and wildlife have also experienced the negative side effects of the flooding.
Recovery predictions now range as high as $1 billion, as Yellowstone officials and the NPS begin to make plans for moving forward. Not only is the list of repairs extensive including repair and rebuild of roads, bridges, sewer systems, and other facilities, but the higher costs of conservation must be factored in to the park’s decisions.
Additionally, efforts to maintain wildlife patterns and migration patterns also have top-tier consideration in the plans for reconstruction.
Superintendent Cam Sholly is well aware of the difficult road ahead, no pun intended:
“This is not going to be an easy rebuild. I don’t think it’s going to be smart to invest potentially, you know, tens of millions of dollars, or however much it is, into repairing a road that may be subject to seeing a similar flooding event in the future.”
Support for a Disaster Relief Bill in Congress is priority, but in the meantime several relief funds have been established for donation including the Southwest Montana Relief Fund and the Carbon County Disaster Relief Fund.
The National Parks Conservation Association is also set to host an in-person fundraising event including a silent auction in Bozeman, Montana today. Virtual bids are also being taken and some auction items include a Yellowstone Bourbon Collection and a year’s supply of Cabot’s cheeses.
9-Year-Old Girl Gets Launched By Bison At Yellowstone National Park
Good God, people…
It should go without saying, but that’s why you don’t get close to bison.
For like the 10,000th time, they’re not cows and you’re not at a petting zoo… you’re at Yellowstone National Park, home to arguably the United States’ most lethal collection of animals.
Bison, wolves, elk, bears, and plenty more, are all capable of killing you, and believe it or not, it’s bears or wolves that hurt people the most. It’s actually bison that cause the most injuries at Yellowstone.
Why? People like this…
Bigger than you think, faster than you think, and freakishly powerful, bison will think nothing of running you down, plowing you over, or if you’re a 9-year-old Florida girl… launching you to the moon.
Back in 2019, the girl was part of a tourist group of about 50 people near Observation Point Trail, near the iconic Old Faithful Geyser. According to reports from park staff, the group got within 5-10 feet of the bison and were close for approximately 20 minutes before the charge.
When her family was charged, everybody scattered, leaving the 9-year-old high and dry (way to go dad), and the bison locked eyes on the young girl. Running her down in a matter of seconds, the bison struck her with its big and powerful head, and lifted her high into the air.
Thankfully, the little girl was treated and released from a park medical clinic and seemingly had no real injuries save for some bumps and bruises, but the situation could’ve much, much worse.
Hopefully dad learned a valuable lesson about wildlife… and keeping an eye on his kids.
