General Discussion
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(23,265 posts)Kali
(57,021 posts)guy that shot video seems a credible witness - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/12/yellowstone-bull-bison-throws-tourist-in-air
Ms. Toad
(38,995 posts)Which was already agitated.
Not terribly smart, although not as stupid as many tourons (local terminology for tourists whose actions contribute to or cause their injuries)
Kali
(57,021 posts)look in foreground of pix, splayed out food and fixings on a picnic table
Ms. Toad
(38,995 posts)When a dangerous animal is clearly agitated, you clear the area - not so to take pictures.
Kali
(57,021 posts)BUT, if you read the story from the Guardian it says the bison was rolling in the dust at the time the hikers returned to the area - they didn't know it was agitated. I just can't call this one human stupidity if the story is accurate. yes there is a risk anywhere in nature (or the city for that matter) but the situation here wasn't one of those dumbfuck gets out of a car to pet the cool animal things. it was basically a big accident that can happen sometimes. risk of animals acclimated to campgrounds or risk of campgrounds in animals' territory.
my guess is he was a young bull that just got his proverbial ass kicked and was hiding from the winner, on the fight to take out his loss on some other critter.
Ms. Toad
(38,995 posts)(I'm in the middle of a 600 mile trip and about to get back in the car). But I read I it and I'm pretty sure it said it was agitated by the time they got their cameras out to take pictures, and that the agitation is at least party is what they were trying to capture.
Kali
(57,021 posts)when they got back from hike it was laying down/rolling in dust (which can also be agitation, I give you that - but they didn't know as far as what I read) and they probably thought it was just rolling for pleasure.
Laffy Kat
(17,029 posts)Look, it doesn't matter where you are, the bison has the right-of-way. The tourist looked way too close. I hope the guy is ok. He looks older.
Kali
(57,021 posts)and recreate with some caution but also with reasonable expectation that it is relatively safe to do so. the article I read and posted said the distances were normally adequate and that this was more or less a freak accident. I am arguing that it was not as predictable as all you experts are claiming it was. sure there is always a danger, but when you go to a designated "human" area in a park and follow all the other signs and rules and something bad happens anyway it isn't really your fault, it is just a fucking accident that can happen in life. the guy wasn't taking extraordinary risks like some of these bison-tossing-idiots videos often show.
Laffy Kat
(17,029 posts)I guess we should all stay alert and on the lookout while in Yellowstone.
I'm not an outdoorsy person and have never really enjoyed camping. I do understand the appeal, though.
MerryBlooms
(12,674 posts)A car, never should be! Yep, that big dog coming for you and you done.
More tourist idiots getting what comes.
Response to MerryBlooms (Reply #13)
drmeow This message was self-deleted by its author.
Kali
(57,021 posts)they were hiking and in a designated campground. witness mentions they were within park guidelines of distances from animal. the bull had been rampaging through the campground and went at a truck. the two men were returning from a hike and started to take pix from a distance when the bull jumped up and went after them.
MerryBlooms
(12,674 posts)This goes for any mamal, and fowl. Turkey will attack if they're mating, or protecting little ones. I have them here
That camping area shouldn't have been open, if Park knew was a bison area. And you know they knew.
Kali
(57,021 posts)but I am a rural person. there are a lot of folks that think nature is a paved trail through a disney movie. this guy wasn't really at fault in this case. campground should be closed or secured for safety with fencing. though I doubt bears care about much fencing or cattle guards. but it would probably work for bison
MerryBlooms
(12,674 posts)Bison? No fence would work, not even sure how high electricity would have to be turned up?
No one should have been allowed in that area. Plus, due diligence when you camp and hike. Be aware! Know if there are bison, cougar, bear in the area you're planning to visit. Never go into the wilderness uneducated.
I hope the guy's okay. I really, really hope the bison wasn't destroyed because of this incident. Because most of the time, the animals are destroyed, especially when stories like this go viral. 😢
Kali
(57,021 posts)yes they can destroy it when they have reasons to but in general it can work. I mean same for any livestock - if it is a high pressure situation you need stronger structure, wire usually works otherwise - same if there is some attractant involved (thinking more of bears on that)
Cirsium
(4,327 posts)I disagree with your conclusions. Clearly they underestimated the danger. "Oh look, a bison. Let's stop and take some pictures!" No. They were too close. How do we know? Because of the result.
Kali
(57,021 posts)by fact of the accident happening to them? somebody gets run over walking down the sidewalk was in the wrong because they got run over?
efhmc
(17,381 posts)(in other words, over-emotional male animals LOL)
MerryBlooms
(12,674 posts)JustKay
(232 posts)awesomerwb1
(5,198 posts)Feel sorry for the gentleman. Didn't seem like he was doing anything wrong. Very scary.
sarisataka
(23,280 posts)a herd walked down the road we were on and some bulls were bigger than the car we were in.
awesomerwb1
(5,198 posts)MerryBlooms
(12,674 posts)Stop fn around with wild creatures to get a selfie. Our wildlife are not your toys for shit posts!
Laffy Kat
(17,029 posts)GPV
(73,513 posts)the headlights came on.
central scrutinizer
(12,662 posts)Xavier Breath
(6,746 posts)Sorry
In all seriousness, I hope the gentleman is okay, and unlike with other videos of this nature he did not appear to be encroaching on the animal.
MineralMan
(152,179 posts)Stay in your car!
milestogo
(23,460 posts)MarineCombatEngineer
(18,331 posts)"Fuck with the bull, you get the horn".
mackdaddy
(2,000 posts)I have seen vids of some women walking within a few feet to take a selfie.
This one shows there is no 'safe' distance.
When I was about 7 I was with my cousin in one of their cattle fields. The bull came after us and I was able to dive under a barbed wire fence. Never had any desire to 'run with the bulls' in the sixty years since.
kairos12
(13,874 posts)for Rodeo clown.
doc03
(39,270 posts)I went walking on a hiking trail in the evening and saw one maybe 100 feet in front of me, I made U turn and went back to lodge. I saw a Chinese tourist walk up to a bull rolling in the dust and take a selfie, they think it is a petting zoo.
BannonsLiver
(21,224 posts)I got cornered by a 250 pound black bear deep in the Rocky Mountain NP back country a few years back while camping with 2 friends. We did all the food protocol but one of the dumb dumbs I was with left a half eaten king size package of Reeses in his tent and inconveniently I was the one to encounter the bear while they were 8 minutes down the trail fetching water. If I hadnt just relieved myself an hour earlier I probably would have peed my pants. I was always cautious before but it really reinforced the concept that wild animals of that size dont have to work too hard to kill.
