A 12-year-old boy was hospitalized after being attacked by a bison in Yellowstone National Park on Friday. The incident took place around 9:15 a.m. near the Mud Volcano area, north of Fishing Bridge.
Park officials confirmed that emergency medical personnel transported the child to a nearby hospital. The extent of the boy's injuries has not been released, and the circumstances leading to the encounter are still under investigation.
Following the attack, Yellowstone National Park reiterated warnings to visitors about the potential dangers of wildlife. Park authorities noted that bison are unpredictable and can run at speeds up to three times faster than humans. They are also known to defend their space when feeling threatened.
Bison are the largest land mammals in North America, with some weighing up to 900 kilograms (approximately 2,000 pounds). Park officials advise visitors to maintain a distance of at least 25 yards from large animals such as bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes. A greater distance of 100 yards is recommended for bears, wolves, and cougars.
Visitors are instructed to move away if wildlife approaches and to never approach, touch, feed, or crowd animals, regardless of their apparent calmness.
This incident is part of a series of bison-related injuries at Yellowstone. According to park officials, there were two reported cases of people being injured by bison in 2024 and one in 2023. In all these instances, visitors had reportedly gotten too close to the animals. Last year, a man from New Jersey was gored after approaching a bison within a large group, and a month prior, a visitor from Florida sustained minor injuries from a goring incident in the Lake Village area.