When deciding whether or not to take a selfie with a wild animal, you gotta do some risk-reward calculations.
Is taking a selfie with a bison worth the risk? I don’t know, it’s not that cool. But hey, if you want to risk it …
Don’t be like this 43-year-old mom, who was unable to surreptitiously snap the photo before being rammed by the camera-shy beat.
Officials at Yellowstone National Park say that the woman and her six-year-old daughter were attempting to snap a selfie with a bison – but things went awry.
Apparently, the bison charged, hit the woman on her right side, and tossed her.
Maybe they should’ve tried a selfie from a greater distance. Park officials say they lineup up abut six yards from the clearly no-nonsense bison.
The woman was taken to a local hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.
“The family said they read the warnings in both the park literature and the signage, but saw other people close to the bison, so they thought it would be OK,” Colleen Rawlings, a ranger in the park’s Old Faithful District told CNN. “People need to recognize that Yellowstone wildlife is wild, even though they seem docile. This woman was lucky that her injuries were not more severe.”
Plenty of people have lived to enjoy the likes on their own bison selfies:
But really, you gotta be careful.
This isn’t the first bison encounter that’s made headlines. Just a couple months ago, a 16-year-old girl was gored while trying to pose for a picture with a Yellowstone bison.
The National Park Service recommends a 25 yard buffer zone between people and bison.
“Visitors are reminded that Yellowstone wildlife is wild. Wildlife should not be approached, no matter how tame or calm they appear. Visitors must stay at least 100 yards (91 m) away from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards (23 m) away from all other large animals – bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes. Bison can sprint three times faster than humans can run and are unpredictable and dangerous. Just because an animal may be near a trail or boardwalk does not mean it should be approached within the recommended safe distances. Visitors are advised to give the animals enough space and be willing to alter their plans to avoid interacting with an animal in close proximity,” says the NPS.
Be smart out there, folks.
image via Yellowstone National Park, Flickr Creative Commons