Bison attacks are frequent in Yellowstone National Park – But they don’t usually include children.
So it was little surprise to see that a 12-year-old boy was attacked by a bison in the park Friday morning, the National Park Service (NPS) said. Park officials did not have detailed information about the incident, which received a three-sentence description Friday on the NPS website.
“The incident occurred near the mud volcano just north of the Fishing Bridge,” the NPS said. “The visitor sustained injuries and was transported by emergency medical personnel to a nearby hospital. The incident remains under investigation.”
The news release continued with general warnings about avoiding the park’s invasive wildlife. The NPS said all park visitors should stay at least 25 yards away from bison, elk and moose and 100 yards away from bears, wolves and cougars.
The child’s health condition, gender and other information were not provided by the park service. last week, Washington Post The Interior Department has instructed park officials to be more selective in notifying the public about deaths or serious injuries that occur in the park, the report said.
A spokesperson for the Interior Department confirmed the new rules to GearJunkie, but said the updated guidance was “developed to create a more consistent approach to incident communications.”
Bison in Yellowstone
It is not uncommon for bison to attack visitors in Yellowstone National Park, although this usually happens when tourists get too close to take photos. Although there are many dangerous animals in Yellowstone, bison have injured more people than any other animal in the park.
Last year the park saw two incidents:
- June 2025: On June 10, a 30-year-old man from Randolph, New Jersey was mauled by a bison When a large group of visitors came too close to it.
- May 2025: A 47-year-old Florida man visiting Yellowstone National Park was also injured by a bison after getting too close to the animal.
The worst season in recent history was 2015, when these large, aggressive animals injured five people.
However, on average only one or two such incidents occur every year in the national park. according to a 2019 report From Utah State University (USU), 56 park visitors were injured by bison between 1978 and 1992, and two were killed. Between 2000 and 2015, 25 people were injured by bison.
“If wildlife approaches you, move away to maintain the required distance,” park officials said in a news release Friday. “Never approach wildlife, touch them, feed them or crowd them, even if an animal appears calm.”
Learn more about safety when visiting Yellowstone park website.
