- Charlene Triplett, age 51, from Las Vegas, Nevada, was attacked by a cow elk behind the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel on Sunday, June 3.
- The elk was protecting a calf bedded down roughly 20 feet away and hidden by other cars. It’s not known if Ms. Triplett saw the calf or the elk prior to the encounter.
Yellowstone employees have to keep their head on a swivel. The potential for violent encounters with wildlife is extremely real.
Related: Wyoming Fish And Game To Allow Yellowstone Grizzly Hunts
The KTVQ News out of Billings is reporting that 51 year-old Charlene Triplett was behind the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel on Sunday when she encountered a mother elk and her calf. At the time of the attack, the calf was bedded down, out of Triplett’s sight.
Person seriously injured by elk in Yellowstone: https://t.co/kv3taPft13 pic.twitter.com/788hemyH4Q
— Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) June 4, 2018
The victim works at the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel but was not on the clock at the time of the incident. Triplett was later flown to the East Idaho Regional Medical Center. She was kicked and stomped by the elk multiple times and sustained serious injuries.
Find the entire KTVQ article here: Woman seriously injured by elk in Yellowstone National Park