A trio of bison managed to escape from their enclosure in St. Albans, Missouri, and a rancher was nearly impaled while trying to corral the animals.
According to Fox2Now, deputies responded to reports of the escaped bison near St. Albans and Bassett roads around 1:15pm on Tuesday, July 1st. By that time the bison had been loose for about 7 hours.
The owners attempted to corral the animals into their enclosure on Bassett Road and had come close several times before the animals were spooked and ran off. One of the bison reportedly became aggressive and charged at one the owners, tossing the individual into the air.
A deputy helped to slow the bleeding with a tourniquet before the owner could be taken to the hospital. Sadly the bison could not be corralled and deputies were forced to euthanize the animals in the street. Neighbors helped to harvest the bison meat and the bison owners had the carcasses trucked out to be processed.
Bison can be highly unpredictable and potentially dangerous animals, charging when frightened. In Yellowstone National Park, for example, bison are responsible for more injuries than any other animal. Give them plenty of space at all times and never attempt to approach, feed, or touch any wild animal.
