Just days after the video of a nine year old kid getting tossed in the air by a charging bison in Yellowstone National Park swept across the internet news of another attack has emerged from North Dakota. The New York Post reports the latest incident involved a 17 year old boy from Colorado who was walking on a trail in North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park on Saturday.
The National Park Service released this statement about the incident:
“A witness stated that the visitor was walking along the trail; a herd of bison was nearby. Two bull bison had been fighting moments prior and were on either side of the trail when the visitor walked between them. One bull charged from behind, striking them in the back and goring the back of the right thigh, tossing them about six feet into the air.”
The teenager spoke to NBC News about the attack:
“I was hiking up the trail, got about a quarter of a mile and there was to my left, like the entire herd, and to my right there was one really big bison. I [gave] him enough space where I was walking around him. I was walking on the trail, and then all the sudden, I just kind of got this feeling that something was like chasing after me.”
The teen began to run away from the bison. The bison nicked him with one of its horns and sent him airborne:
“Luckily I fell onto my backpack, which saved my life, honestly. If I didn’t have that, I would have a lot more injured. I was in such shock and adrenaline rush that I didn’t realize (the bison) had torn that big of an injury in the back of my leg. And I looked back and there was just chunks of tissue. And I was like, ‘oh boy.’
It’s unclear what prompted the bison to attack the youth. The teen claims he kept his distance and did nothing to irritate the wild animal:
“I could have given him a little bit more space, but I had been that close to a bison before on the trail. I didn’t do anything to like aggravate him. It was like all by chance.”
Rangers and paramedics were called to the scene after the attack. The teen was transported to a local hospital by helicopter where he was treated for a leg injury. He was listed as being in stable condition.
The incident comes less than a week after a 9 year old girl was attacked and launched into the air by a bison at Yellowstone National Park (VIDEO BELOW).
WARNING: Stay 25 yards (23 meters) away from all large animals — bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes and at least 100 yards (91 meters) away from bears and wolves.
images from www.nps.gov & TheodoreRooseveltNationalPark FB