A Yellowstone National Park visitor’s cellphone video is going viral after a bison briefly chased down a child who wandered too close to the animal near a park boardwalk, the latest in a string of close calls between tourists and the park’s bison herds this summer.
The footage, captured by a witness named Brittany Peteler and shared through the news agency Storyful, shows a woman safely walking past a bison moving near a boardwalk on July 28. Moments later, a second group that included several children began walking in the animal’s direction, despite the alarm expressed by witnesses. When one child broke into a run, the bison gave chase for several tense seconds before the child reached safety. No injuries were reported.
Park officials say bison have injured more Yellowstone visitors than any other animal in the park. The National Park Service’s safety guidance instructs visitors to remain at least 25 yards — roughly the length of two school buses — away from bison at all times, to walk or run away if one approaches or charges, and, if followed, to use bear spray and seek cover behind nearby trees or vehicles.
The episode comes just weeks after a bison sent a 65-year-old grandfather, Carl McDaniel, flying into the air at the park’s Bridge Bay Campground, breaking his femur in four places. Mr. McDaniel later said he and his 13-year-old grandson had been about 100 yards from the animal, well beyond the required buffer, when it suddenly grew agitated after a passing driver sounded a horn.
“He was not aggressive; he was not having problems,” Mr. McDaniel recalled of the bison’s initial demeanor before it charged. He underwent surgery July 12 and was able to stand the following day.
Both incidents fall during Yellowstone’s bison rut, the breeding season that runs from late July through August, when bulls bellow, wallow and fight one another to establish dominance over access to females. Wildlife experts note bison “can be aggressive” year-round and may defend their space if they feel threatened, regardless of how calm they appear.
Bull bison can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and can run as fast as 35 mph, roughly 3 times faster than humans, according to the park service. Officials warn that approaching bison or remaining within 25 yards of them can provoke defensive behavior, even when the animals initially appear docile.
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