A Bison Gored A Young Woman At Yellowstone National Park & Tossed Her Through The Air

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A 25-year-old woman was gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park Monday morning after officials said she broke the rules and got too close to the animal.

The woman got within 10 feet of the bison, which aggravated the animal, causing it to charge at her and gore her, the National Parks Service said in a news release Tuesday. The bison "tossed her 10 feet into the air," the NPS said.

The woman was taken to a local hospital with a puncture wound and other injuries, officials said.

NBC News initially reported that she died of her injuries, although that has turned out not to be the case.

The park warns visitors to stay at least 25 yards (23 metres) away from bison for safety reasons, and officials say the woman did not obey those rules. Two other visitors were also too close to the bison at the time of the attack, they said.

“As the bison walked near a boardwalk at Black Sand Basin, the female, on the boardwalk, approached it,” said the news release. “Consequently, the bison gored the woman.”

The woman's name has not been released, but officials say she was a tourist from Grove City, Ohio.

This was the first case this year of a visitor being attacked after "threatening a bison" by getting too close, the NPS said.

The park said that “bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal.”

Bison can run three times faster than humans and can be very unpredictable, they added.

The release also warned that “wildlife in Yellowstone National Park are wild and can be dangerous when approached.”

It recommends staying as far away as possible from them, and in the case you come in close proximity, turn around and walk the other way to avoid an attack.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.