WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS -- A Massachusetts man is recovering in an Idaho Falls hospital following surgery for injuries he received after being gored by a bull bison near Norris Campground on Saturday in Yellowstone National Park.
Park authorities did not have the man’s name, and his age was listed as in the mid-50s, according to the report by the Billings Gazette.
Though not taunting the animal, the tourist let the bison approach to within a few feet of where he was sitting and refused to move away, according to a park statement.
The bull gored the man, tossing him nearly 10 feet into the air, before pinning him to the ground.
The victim suffered a broken collarbone, shoulder blade and several ribs and a groin injury.
Park rules require that visitors stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves at all times, and at least 25 yards away from all other animals including elk and bison.
If an animal approaches, it is the person’s responsibility to move a safe distance away.
Maybe the park rangers who made that rule knew what they were talking about.
