Yellowstone National Park’s busy season barely started, and already danger looms, as a Florida man became the first victim of the year, gored by one of the park’s most unpredictable beasts: the American bison.
See the tweet below!
This latest incident highlights a pressing concern and a stark lesson for everyone who steps foot into this wild, majestic land—respecting nature’s boundaries or paying the price.
At around 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, May 7, in the Lake Village area—a popular spot with cabins, lodges, and campsites—the 47-year-old man from Cape Coral, Florida, had a close encounter of the dangerous kind.
Ignoring Yellowstone’s stringent safety rules, he approached too near to a bison, suffering the park’s first such incident of 2025.
Fortunately, he escaped with only minor injuries and received prompt medical attention from emergency personnel.
The larger-than-life creatures roaming Yellowstone are a major draw for tourists, but they come with a warning that many have ignored to their peril.
Bison, the largest animals on the continent, weigh up to 2,000 pounds and stand six feet tall.
Though they appear slow-moving, these animals can run at speeds up to 35 mph, outpacing even the fastest human sprinters.
They’re unpredictable, territorial, and have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other wild animal over the years, CBS News reports.
Despite their deceptive gentleness, bison are well-equipped to protect themselves and their territory.
Their eyesight might be limited, but they compensate with acute senses of smell and hearing, making them swift protectors of their young.
These formidable attributes explain why park guidelines explicitly mandate that visitors maintain a distance of at least 25 yards from these massive creatures.
The National Park Service continuously emphasizes safety protocols to prevent these encounters.
Yet, incidents continue as people are drawn irresistibly close for a better photo or encounter.
Past events serve as tragic reminders, including the goring of an 83-year-old woman in 2024 and another tourist foolishly kicking a bison, resulting in predictable retaliation.
As the park welcomed 4.7 million visitors in 2024, the human footprint continues to expand in areas once ruled solely by nature.
“Yellowstone National Park has recorded the year’s first violent encounter between a visitor and bison, just weeks into the busy summer season,” as noted by park officials.
Such occurrences are avoidable if we remember to respect the territory of these intense and unpredictable animals.
Man gored by bison in Yellowstone on May 4. Always stay 25 yards away from bison! Read more: https://t.co/hrKpYnNGin pic.twitter.com/cnUWDT6JbY
— Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) May 7, 2025
