Colo. Man Was Protecting Child When He Was Gored by Bison at Yellowstone National Park, Video Shows

The 34-year-old from Colorado Springs was walking with his family on a boardwalk when a bull bison charged the group, according to anews release from the National Park Service.

“Family members did not leave the area, and the bull bison continued to charge and gored the male,” officials said.

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“Consequently, the bison gored the woman and tossed her 10 feet into the air,” they wrote.

The woman was transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center with “a puncture wound and other injuries,” park officials said.

Bison attacks are a natural response to the perceived threat of an individual, officials warned in the release. The “unpredictable” bovine “can run three times faster than humans” and has “injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal,” they said.

Visitors are asked to stay at least 25 yards away from all large animals including elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes, per the park. For bears and wolves, visitors are required to maintain at least 100 yards in distance.

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“Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are wild and can be dangerous when approached,” the National Park Service said in the release. “When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space.”

“If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity,” they added.

source: people.com