Bison are one of the most dangerous animals in the world.
The lumbering creatures may look too big to quickly do serious damage, but their size is deceptive. Bulls can weigh more than 2,000 pounds but run 40 miles per hour — almost twice as fast as Usain Bolt's world record in the 100-meter dash.
Some "tourons" have found out.
As Stacy (@stacyhmichael) shared in a 13-second TikTok earlier this year, one visitor at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma got spooked after a bison had had enough of their taunting.
The video picks up with a man stretching his arm out and leaning over as he creeps within perhaps 10 feet of the bison. The animal bluffs a charge, and the person scoots back to their truck.
@stacyhmichael Oh the things you see.. 🙄 #dumbwaystodieedit #throwbackthursday #dontpetthefluffycows #commonsenseisnotsocommon #tbt #peopleareidiots #tailupisnobueno #tourons #wichitawildliferefuge #cantfixstupid #bison ♬ Dumb Ways to Die - Tangerine Kitty
"Oh look it's stupid tourist tossing season again!!!" one commenter said.
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Another added: "People are so effin stupid."
This person was lucky. Bison injure more people than any other animal in Yellowstone National Park. The National Park Service advises sightseers to stay at least 25 yards from bison.
The natives of North America can turn on a dime and jump six feet in the air. They also have horns that can grow to two feet.
"Approaching bison threatens them, and they may respond by bluff charging, head bobbing, pawing, bellowing, or snorting," the NPS stated. "These are warning signs that you are too close and that a charge is imminent."
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It appears this bison may have made eye contact with the offender, and it raised its tail as it charged — two more signs the animal may have been agitated.
But it's not hard to stay safe around them — and other wildlife.
Keep your distance, follow park rules, and otherwise respect the living beings.
The consequences could be deadly, and if that's not enough to scare careless individuals, maybe punishment is. People charged with harassing wildlife in a national park can be sentenced to jail time and fined.
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