You’ve finally arrived
at Yellowstone National Park
for your sightseeing tour.
The beauty of the park surrounds you.
You see a magnificent bison
headed your way.
It's not stopping for a picture.
This enormous animal
and its deadly horns begin to charge,
and it's coming straight at you.
Bison are the largest land mammals
in North America.
At roughly 2 m (6 ft) tall,
females can weigh in at 455 kg (1,000 lb)
and males can weigh over
900 kg (2,000 lb).
A 2019 study from Utah State University
concluded that the American bison
is responsible for more injuries
and deaths than any other animal
at Yellowstone National Park.
This includes frightening predators
such as bears, wolves and cougars.
So, if this deadly beast
has its sights set on you,
you better think fast.
Bison are genetically similar
to common cattle.
Being such massive animals, they require
up to 11 kg (24 lb) of food daily
to provide their bodies
with enough energy.
Because of this, they spend up to 11 hours
each day foraging.
All that energy can be used up
if one decides to charge at you
full-speed.
Considering they're capable
of plowing cars across roads
and they're packing curved horns
that can grow more than 0.5 m (2 ft) long,
you don’t want to find yourself
on the other end of one
of these sharp death spears.
While there's a big temptation to get close
to take that picture,
remember these animals can jump
1.5 m (5 ft) high.
They can swim.
Oh, and can run 55 km/h (35 mph).
This is not the time to be careless
when it comes to an unnecessary
close encounter.
A 25-year-old woman came within
3 m (10 ft) of a bison,
despite Yellowstone's rule of maintaining
a 23 m (75 ft) distance.
In a statement, the National Park Service
said that “the bison gored the woman
and tossed her 10 feet (3 m) into the air.”
They further confirmed that the woman
sustained a number of injuries,
including a puncture wound.
With all animal interactions,
your understanding of their behavior
can help you to avoid an attack.
Remember most bison reside
in national parks,
so prior to your visit make sure you know
what to expect from them.
In the heat of the summer,
it’s mating season.
Be extra cautious because the herds
are large and the males
are extra temperamental
since they're anticipating dueling it out
to win mating rights.
In spring, watch out for mothers
and their calves as they,
like most mammals,
fiercely protect their offspring.
In winter, herds are smaller and the bison
tend to be more relaxed.
Unfortunately, you've caught the attention
of a grazing bison.
The best thing to do is walk away slowly.
This will allow you to quietly
put some distance between
the two of you.
Panicking will only make you
move too fast
and startle it into attacking you.
You definitely can’t outrun them.
Not even Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt
and his world record 45 km/h (27 mph)
speed would stand a chance.
But if there's no other alternative,
as you are running for your life
you should be on the lookout
for some sort of obstacle
to put between you and the bison.
Even better, find yourself a tree.
Bison can't climb, but let’s hope you can!
Staying up there until the bison gets bored
and leaves is probably the most plausible
solution for escaping an angry bison.
If there are no trees around, your best bet
is to play dead.
A video of a woman who fell and decided
to do just that in the face
of a bison attack resulted in her living
to see another day.
She was uninjured despite coming
face to face
with North America's largest mammal.
Though keep in mind
this is not guaranteed to work.
The woman may have just gotten lucky.
But what if you climbed that tree
to escape the bison
and you fell out
and broke a bone?
Don't worry, we have you covered
right here on How to Survive.