A tourist got the scare of her life at Yellowstone National Park earlier this month after she tried to pet a bison after taking selfies with the animal.
"You know, people look at them. They think it looks like a big brown hairy cow. 'I want to take a picture because I've seen all the pictures with the bison,'""I credit a lot of this stuff to social media – people who want to get that selfie. They want to get more likes, and they might not realize they are going to end up in the hospital."
Bison are the largest land mammals in North America, can run up to 35 mph and can turn on a dime, Magill added. Yellowstone authorities say visitors to the park should stay at least 25 yards away from bison for their own safety. But Magill suggested some people ignore the guidelines in pursuit of"They're taking their phones out. They're trying to pose. They're turning their backs to a wild animal. I don't know what they're thinking," Magill told Fox Weather."Now, the calving season comes along, the females are going to be very protective of their calves.
"When a tail goes up on a bison, that is bad news, guys, really bad news," Magill said."This woman actually looked like she was going to go pet that animal. I don't know what she's thinking. It's like people think they're at Disney World."not only threatens human safety but also can harm the animals. Just last week, the Yellowstone staff euthanized a newborn bison calf after a man touched it, causing the herd to reject the baby.
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