A woman from Minnesota suffered severe injuries from a bison attack in North Dakota at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, according to a statement released by the National Park Service on Tuesday.
Park authorities noted that she was in a critical yet stable condition following substantial abdominal and foot injuries.
Following the incident, the woman was first transported via ambulance to a Dickinson hospital, approximately 30 miles east of Painted Canyon, a well-liked Badlands viewpoint among drivers. Subsequently, she was taken to a hospital in Fargo.
The incident occurred at a trailhead near Painted Canyon. However, the National Park Service said the exact circumstances of the incident are still under investigation, and details of what transpired are yet to be entirely determined.
National parks have reported two similar incidents in just a few days.
On Monday, a bison attacked a 47-year-old woman from Phoenix at Yellowstone National Park, charging and goring her. She suffered substantial injuries to her chest and abdomen and had to be airlifted to a hospital in Idaho Falls. Park officials could not determine how close she was to the Bison before the incident. The woman was with another individual when they noticed two Bison and decided to walk away. However, one of the Bison charged and attacked her.
In their statement, the Park Service noted, “Bison are large, powerful, and wild animals that can turn quickly and easily outpace humans. They can become aggressive during the rutting season, which typically lasts from mid-July through August. Visitors should exercise extra caution and maintain additional distance during this period.
Park guidelines dictate that visitors maintain a minimum distance of 25 yards (equivalent to the length of two full-sized buses) from large animals like Bison, elk, deer, pronghorn, and horses. Visitors are advised to retreat and take an alternate route to prevent close encounters with wildlife.”
As per the Department of Interior, Bison are the largest mammals in North America. Male Bison bulls can stand 6 feet tall and weigh up to 2,000 pounds. Female Bison cows can stand between 4 to 5 feet tall and weigh as much as 1,000 pounds or more. Yellowstone holds the unique distinction of being the only location in the U.S. where Bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times.
