Visitors to Yellowstone National Park were recently greeted with a awe-inspiring display of nature when a bison herd stopped traffic while migrating through the park, according to the website PetHelpful.
A video a visitor took to its Facebook page on Friday, August 16th shows a herd of bison taking over a highway and lazily stopping traffic for onlookers to get a “close-up” look at the animals that roam free in the park.
The video starts with the herd coming down the side of a mountain near the highway. They hop over the guardrail on the side of the road and decide to take the easiest route to wherever they were going…straight down the middle of the highway.
Huge bison and tiny calves are seen running next to their moms. Visitors said that the sound the hundreds of bison running down the road make is ‘deafening’.
People who have watched the post have left more than 8 thousand comments about the spectacular sight, and the video has been viewed more than 10 million times; people love watching wild animals in their natural habitat.
One commenter suggested the Park should build grass covered walkways for the animals to use, and @Marilyn Hoffmann laughed and replied, “They cross everywhere! Sometimes they just meander down the road as if we built it just for them.” I agree with @John Daley who pointed out, “Nice to see so many calves.” I appreciated @Kristien Knibiehly’s comment, “Even running on dirt or grass it sounds and feels like thunder.”
Why You Should Never Approach Bison
Commenter @Bill Case got more than 400 likes when he dished out this reminder, “Remember – don’t pet the fuzzy cows! Every year some jerk tries to get close with predictable results. Every. Year.” While the bison in this video seem to be ignoring the cars lined up waiting for them, the National Park Service warns the public to stay at least 25 yards away from bison because of their unpredictable nature. It seems like it should be common sense, but the NPC also advises visitors to stay in their vehicles if they encounter a wildlife jam for their safety and the safety of the animals.
ScienceDirect explains why it’s important to keep your distance from these wild animals, “Research shows that bison injure more people than any other animal at Yellowstone.” Getting out of vehicles to take photos is the most common reason people approach bison, and they’re getting closer to the wild animals than ever before to get that perfect shot. Common bison-related injuries include deep puncture wounds, blunt trauma, fractures, contusions, and abrasions.” That’s not surprising since female bison weigh about 1,000 pounds and males can weigh up to 2,000.
While it seems like a dumb thing to do, people continue to try to get up close and personal with bison. The New York Times reported in June, “On average, there are one to two reported incidents of bison injuring visitors annually. However, bison at the park have not killed any people in the last five years.” Remember that’s just in Yellowstone, so across the country that number is higher.
If you ever are lucky enough to get stuck in a bison traffic jam, please remain safely inside your vehicle. Bison that attack humans are often euthanized, and it’s not their fault that they’re doing what comes naturally to them. Enjoy the view and if you want to record it, do it from a window instead of getting out of the car.
