Teen gored by bison in Yellowstone while posing for a photo

Friday, May 16th, a 16-year-old Taiwanese girl was gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park as she was posing for a photo just feet away from the animal.

According to a report from CNN, the teen had stopped alongside a group of other tourists who had gathered to watch bison grazing next to the trail. As the teen had turned her back to the bison to have a photo taken by her host family, a bison ‘ lifted its head, took a couple steps and gored her,’ said the National Park Service.

The girl, whose name wasn’t provided, suffered ‘serious but not life-threatening injuries’ from the attack. She was taken to the Old Faithful Clinic at the park before being airlifted out of Yellowstone for more extensive treatment.

As random as this incident may seem, it’s not an unusual occurrence, according to the National Park Service. According to the National Park Service’s website, each year a handful of visitors are gored and even killed by wildlife.

To prevent these incidents, Yellowstone has a number of signs throughout its trails that tell visitors to stay more than 25 yards (23 meters) away from animals at all times. In a statement to CNN, the National Park Service said, ‘visitors are reminded that Yellowstone wildlife is wild. Wildlife should not be approached, no matter how tame or calm they appear.’

Whether you’re going as a tourist or are using it for an on-location shoot, remember to not get too close to wildlife, whether at Yellowstone or other parks.

(via DIY Photography)

Image credits: American Bison by Larry Smith used under CC BY 2.0