A family recently approached a bison on a boardwalk at Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park, and bystanders were afraid for their lives. In a viral video, you can see the family, including several young children, walking slowly toward a bison. At one point, one of kids panics and runs past the animal, separating from the rest of the family.
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Although the bison briefly “chases” or trots after the child, it doesn’t pursue him/her. Presumably, everyone walked away safely. The video serves as a reminder that public education is extremely important in national parks.
[RELATED: Yellowstone Bison Attack Victim Shares His Side of the Story]
The National Park Service (NPS) provides these tips to stay safe around bison:
- Bison are wild animals and are unpredictable.
- Maintain a distance of 100 feet (30 m or two bus lengths) from bison.
- When the bison are within 100 feet (30 m) of the road, it is recommended to view them from inside a vehicle.
Watch a child’s close encounter with a bison at Yellowstone National Park below (or see it here).
Header stock image by John Elk/Getty Images
Read more facts about the national parks:
- Great Smoky Mountain National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Isle Royale National Park
- Big Bend National Park
- Zion National Park
- Voyageurs National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Yosemite National Park
