According to Yellowstone park officials, this is the first reported incident of a visitor being hurt by a bison in 2024.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — A man who kicked a bison in the leg was then hurt by one of the animals in Yellowstone National Park, according to park officials.
Park rangers arrested and jailed him after he was treated for minor injuries.
Park rangers got a call about the man allegedly harassing a bison herd and kicking one of them about seven miles (11 kilometers) inside the park’s west entrance on April 21.
Rangers stopped the man in a car driven by another person in nearby West Yellowstone, Montana, Yellowstone officials said in a release Monday.
Park officials didn’t describe the 40-year-old man’s injuries from the bison. He was charged with being under the influence of alcohol, disorderly conduct, and approaching and disturbing wildlife.
His 37-year-old companion was charged with driving under the influence, failing to yield to a police car and disturbing wildlife.
The two men from Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded not guilty in a court appearance April 22.
Bison are the largest land mammal in North America, with bulls weighing up to 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms). Despite their size, bison can sprint up to 40 mph (65 kilometers per hour). They routinely injure tourists who get too close.
According to park officials, this is the first reported incident of a visitor being hurt by a bison in 2024. During the last reported incident, an Arizona woman suffered fractured vertebrae and collapsed lungs after being gored by a bison.
Yellowstone officials urge people to stay at least 25 yards (23 meters) away from all large wildlife in the park.
Some Yellowstone facilities began opening for the busy summer season last week, a process that will continue into June.
