Hiker in Yellowstone Has a Bison 'Encounter'

A 30-year-old Michigan woman on a weekend hike in Yellowstone National Park ended up in the hospital after an unexpected "encounter." Park spokeswoman Linda Veress says in an email to Jackson Hole News that the Ann Arbor resident was hiking on Sunday afternoon with a partner along the Storm Point Trail, located on the northern part of Yellowstone Lake, when she came across a bison. "We're not clear how the encounter" went after that, Veress notes, but the hiker suffered "significant injuries" and was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, located in Idaho Falls.

There are said to be no pics or video of the incident. According to a 2018 study, bison hurt one or two Yellowstone tourists on average annually, per ABC News. The Billings Gazette notes bison are responsible for more injuries to Yellowstone visitors than any other animal there, and it's usually the visitors' fault for not keeping a safe distance. The park's safety guidelines recommend visitors keep a 25-yard buffer between themselves and larger animals like bison, elk, bighorn sheep, and moose, with at least 100 yards of space reserved for more dangerous animals such as bears and wolves. (More Yellowstone National Park stories.)