A 9-year-old girl visiting Yellowstone National Park was struck and thrown into the air by a charging bison, park officials said on Tuesday, July 23, but she survived the attack
Park officials say the bison rushed the group on Monday after some of the tourists gathered about 5 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) away from the animal for at least 20 minutes.
The girl, who is from Odessa, Florida, was taken to Old Faithful Lodge by her family for treatment by emergency personnel. She was later taken to a clinic and released.
Park officials did not disclose the extent of any injuries.
The incident occurred near Observation Point Trail, in the area of Old Faithful Geyser.
No citations have been issued, and the incident is still under investigation, according to a release from the park’s public affairs office.
Yellowstone officials told CNN they are looking into a video posted to Twitter on Monday night and being circulated by local media.
THIS. IS. CRAZY.
A bison tossed a 9-year-old girl from Florida, while she was visiting @YellowstoneNPS Miraculously, the girl’s okay. Park rangers warn visitors to keep a large distance from wildlife.See you 4:30-7 a.m. on @WPTV NewsChannel 5 – @MikeTrimWPTV @EricaRakow pic.twitter.com/5u5xD6InGG
— Ashleigh Walters (@AshleighWalters) July 24, 2019
Injuries of tourists by bison and other wildlife occur regularly in Yellowstone, which is home to 4,527 bison, according to an August 2018 estimate.
Millions of visitors travel yearly to Yellowstone, which spans parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, to view wildlife, including its famed bison, also known as buffalo.
A male bull (buffalo) weighs up to 2,000 pounds. The animals can be aggressive and can run up to 30 miles per hour.
Park rules dictate that visitors give animals a wide berth, requiring them to stay at least 25 yards (meters) from bison and elk and 100 yards from predators such as wolves and bears.
In June 2018, a Yellowstone bison gored a woman after a crowd surged within feet of it, according to the park.
The CNN Wire and Reuters contributed to this report.
