Stories that begin with the words "Florida man" usually entail some amount of tomfoolery, and this one is no different. A Florida man was left smarting, but fortunately not seriously injured, after a close encounter with a bison at Yellowstone National Park.
The National Park Service issued a press release stating that a 47-year-old visitor from the Sunshine State was injured by a bison in the Lake Village Area of the park, the first recorded attack of the season. The press release cautions that bison "will defend their space when threatened and have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal."
Bison incidents happen most years despite the park's advice to stay at least 25 yards away from large animals like bison, elk, and moose and to keep even more distance from wolves and bears (100 yards). While not overtly aggressive toward people, they are defensive about their personal space.
Bison get particularly grumpy during mating season, which runs from June to September. Aggressive bulls fill the landscape with the sound of their bellows and clashes with competing males. Such is the stress of the period that some bulls will shed up to 12% of their body weight during the season.
Bison weigh up to 2,000 pounds and can reach speeds up to 35 miles per hour, much faster than people in short bursts. For reference, Usain Bolt hit just under 28 miles per hour when he ran the fastest 100-meter race in history in 2009, per USA Today. Given those stats, the Florida man is quite fortunate to have escaped serious injury.
The bison at Yellowstone have existed since prehistoric times. They are the last truly wild herd and have a storied past.
Once abundant across the Great Plains, bison were systematically slaughtered by the U.S. government in the 19th century. Their numbers dwindled from 50-60 million to just a few thousand. At their lowest point, there were just a handful left in Yellowstone, but they have since recovered to a stable population.
On a social post about the story, there wasn't a great deal of sympathy.
One comment said that "a fine should be imposed. There are plenty of signs warning people, but they continue to use poor judgement."
Another popular comment said, "I'm always rooting for the wildlife."
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Definitely 👍 As millions of visitors come to enjoy the bison at Yellowstone each year, particularly in the summer months, they would do well to follow the Department of the Interior's advice: "It's great to love bison, but love them from a distance."
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