A Yellowstone National Park visitor was attacked by a bison shortly after the park’s reopening

FILE - In this Aug. 3, 2016, file photo, a large bison blocks traffic as tourists take photos of the animals in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park. Access to the southern half of Yellowstone National Park will resume Monday, May 18, by way of Wyoming but park officials continue to talk with Montana about reopening the rest of the park after a seven-week closure due to the coronavirus, Superintendent Cam Sholly said Wednesday, May 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File) (Matthew Brown, Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

A female visitor was injured in a bison attack Wednesday at Yellowstone National Park, which began a phased reopening this week, NBC News reported.

The incident happened in the Old Faithful Upper Geyser Basin where the woman got too close to the animal, National Park officials said.

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The National Park Service said in a statement that the visitor was “knocked to the ground and injured by the bison." The extent of her injuries are unknown, and the visitor refused medical transport.

Officials say this was the first bison attack of the year at America’s first national park.

“When an animal is near a trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, give it space,” the park service told NBC News. “Stay 25 yards (23 m) away from all large animals - bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes and at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves.”

The park reopened Monday at the order of President Donald Trump after closing March 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic.


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A graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown, Ana moved to H-Town from sunny southern California in 2015. In 2020, she joined the KPRC 2 digital team as an intern. Ana is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a catmom of 3, and an aquarium enthusiast. In her spare time, she's an avid video gamer and loves to travel.