Cheers to Yellowstone National Park camper John Gandola who documented a slightly annoying but highly memorable experience involving a rambunctious herd of bison and shared it for all to appreciate.
Gandola had pitched a tent and laid down for the night in a remote, Northern part of Yellowstone when he was awoken at 2:40am by the telltale guttural vocalizations of passing bison. The following morning he found his campsite inundated with bison and wisely retreated to the roof of his pickup truck where sat in safety. Gandola’s advice for such a situation “beer and a bunch of patience are your best weapons.”
The entire episode played out over several consecutive Instagram videos which are highly entertaining and highly relatable if you are fan of commonsense and rolling with the punches.
Late night intrusion:
Yeah That Noise Was Just What It Sounded Like
Maybe A Fire Will Scare Them Away
Yeah Bison Aren’t Afraid Of Fire One Bit
Thankfully this dude didn’t take the threat of bison lightly and gave them as much room as he could as they passed through his campsite. While bison can appear disarmingly docile at times, they are incredibly dangerous and responsible for injuring more Yellowstone visitors than any other species in the park. Learn more about bison safety at Yellowstone below.
Yellowstone Bison Safety Guidelines:
Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal. Bison are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans. Always stay at least 25 yards (23 m) away from bison.
- Give bison space when they are near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area. If need be, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal in close proximity. 
- Approaching bison threatens them, and they may respond by bluff charging, head bobbing, pawing, bellowing, or snorting. These are warning signs that you are too close and that a charge is imminent.
- Do not stand your ground. Immediately walk or run away from the animal. Spray bear spray as you are moving away if the animal follows you.
