Yellowstone vacationers reminder FYI

[c&d]

"WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont.

Officials in Yellowstone National Park say a Massachusetts man was gored by a bull bison that threw him 10 feet in the air and then pinned him to the ground.

The man, who is in his mid-50s, suffered a broken collarbone, shoulder blade, several ribs and a groin injury in Saturday's encounter near the Norris campground. He was airlifted to an Idaho Falls, Idaho hospital and is expected to recover. His name was not released.

Park officials say the man was not taunting the animal, but let the bull approach within a few feet of where he was sitting.

Park rules require visitors to stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards away from all other animals. If an animal approaches, it is the visitor's responsibility to move a safe distance away."

[NJGIRL]

That's terrible. We are going in August and while we are doing a wildlife tour from the safety of a "yellow bus" I choose to stay away from trails that say bear activity is high. They are wild animals and attacking prey is what they do. I hope this man recovers.

[TheDuckRocks]

I was once merrily taking a picture, from a goodly distance - well over 25 yards, of a baby moose when mama moose approached to see what was going on. I truely do not believe I have ever moved faster in my life than I did that day.:bolt:

[joonyer]

It's not a zoo. There are no fences or barriers. I think sometimes people forget that, and get lulled into thinking that animals in National Parks are somehow not dangerous. I hope he will recover.

[LVT]

We just returned. It was common for people to ignore the distance rules while on foot and very
vulnerable.

[MNNHFLTX]

We just returned. It was common for people to ignore the distance rules while on foot and very
vulnerable.Does not surprise me one bit. When we were in Banff a few years back we were amazed at how foolhardy people were in getting close to the wildlife. Sheesh, people need to get a better zoom lens if they are so desperate for a close-up.

[PirateLover]

I came here after being inspired from shows on Destination America about Yellowstone. They showed footage that looked to be from the 50s or 60s of people feeding the bears! Crazy.
I agree that people get a false sense of security sometimes, since most of the country is only exposed to wild animals in the confines of a zoo. They forget they are in the wild.

[Simba's Mom]

I remember one of the park rangers there telling me that the problem most people have with bison is that bison have a very long fuse, but at a certain point, when they finally do decide to get angry-"That's it! I've had enough!"-they really get angry and flip out on people. DH and I have always remembered that and laughed because he's that same way.

[NJGIRL]

I couldn't believe not only how close people got to the bison and elk but how they left the boardwalk and walked close to the thermal features even though there were signs everywhere.

[c&d]

I couldn't believe not only how close people got to the bison and elk but how they left the boardwalk and walked close to the thermal features even though there were signs everywhere.

Did you enjoy your trip to Yellowstone?

[Simba's Mom]

Did you enjoy your trip to Yellowstone?

Although I'm not the Original Poster, I can say that we LOVED Yellowstone. We went for what we thought would be one trip, and we ended up going the next two years as well. Although it's now been 3 whole years since our last trip, we plan to go again as soon as DH reaches the age of qualifying for the senior pass, where you pay $10 once, and it's good forever.

[NJGIRL]

Did you enjoy your trip to Yellowstone?

We loved it BUT, the altitude was really hard on us. I want to post a trip report, I just have to find time to do it. I think everyone should try to vissit at least once.

[MNNHFLTX]

We really enjoyed Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks too. Unfortunately, the mountains were shrouded in a haze from the Idaho fires when we were there, but the scenery was still breathtaking.

Rita, I know what you mean about the trip report! I did a travel blog for my family and friends and many reviews on Tripadvisor. I'm kind of trip-reported out. ;)