A Colorado man visiting Yellowstone National Park was devoured by a bison in Old Faithful this week in the second such attack last month, park officials said. The 34-year-old from Colorado Springs, whose name has not been released by the National Park Service, was walking with his family on a sidewalk near Giant Geyser on Monday when a bull bison attacked the group, according to a press release. “The family members did not leave the area and the bison bull continued to load and devour the male,” said the Park Service. The man was injured in the arm and taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, Yellowstone Hospital. How close the man was to the bison before the attack is unclear. The park, which is mostly located in Wyoming, requires visitors to stay more than 25 meters from the bison. The Park Service said this was another case in which a visitor was “very close to the animal”. “This incident remains under investigation and there is no additional information for sharing,” the Park Service said. Less than a month ago, a 25-year-old woman from Grove City, Ohio, was devoured by a bison and flew 10 feet into the air on Memorial Day after approaching the animal. While on a sidewalk in the Black Sand Basin, the woman approached 10 feet from the animal, park officials said. Two other people were also 25 meters away from the bison, the Park Service said in a press release. The Yellowstone bison drowns the visitor and throws him at 10 feet, the park says When the woman approached the bison on the sidewalk west of the Old Faithful geyser, the animal charged her. “Consequently, the bison devoured the woman and threw her 10 feet in the air,” the Park Service said at the time. The woman, who survived the attack, suffered a puncture wound and other injuries and was taken to the Idaho Regional Medical Center. It is not clear if the other two people on the 25-yard mark were injured. This incident, like this one of the week, also happened Monday morning. Bison, the largest mammal in North America, has injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal, according to the Park Service. Bison are unpredictable and extremely powerful, and although they can weigh up to a ton and stand about 6 feet on the shoulder, bison can run up to 35 mph, which is “three times faster than humans,” he says. the Park Service. They can also jump up to six feet vertically “and can quickly rotate to fight predators,” according to the National Wildlife Federation. Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times, according to the Department of the Interior. Between 2,300 and 5,500 bison live in Yellowstone, according to the Park Service. Yellowstone bison are considered special because “they are the pure descendants (without bovine genes) of the early bison that roamed the meadows of our country,” says Interior. Yellowstone officials have stressed that visitors should give space to animals if they come close to campsites, trails, sidewalks, parking lots or developed areas. Visitors should stay more than 25 meters away from all large animals such as bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, elk and coyotes, says the Park Service. Advises visitors to be at least 100 meters away from bears and wolves. How can travelers stay safe during encounters with wildlife Wildlife attacks are rare, but dangerous encounters occur, especially when people are unaware – or unaware – of wildlife monitoring rules and etiquette. “Wild animals want to be left to fend for themselves,” Cameron Hars, program director at the US office of World Animal Protection, an international nonprofit, told the Washington Post this month. “They do not want to interact with humanity.” Yellowstone reopened recently after severe flooding destroyed roads and bridges and closed the park for about a week this month. The Park Service said Monday’s attack was the second in a month “by a visitor who came very close to the animal and the bison responded to the perceived threat by devouring the person.” Park officials reiterated that Yellowstone visitors should keep a safe distance. “Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park is wild and can be dangerous when approached,” the Park Service said. Andrea Sachs contributed to this report.
