First Tourist Injured by a Bison at Yellowstone National Park of 2024

Yellowstone National Park has shared in a press release that a tourist has been injured by a bison in the park this year.

Last week was National Park Week which meant that only some parts of the park were open. More areas of the Park will open in May and June and a full schedule can be viewed here. The park shared that the incident occurred near the Seven Mile Bridge just east of the park's West Entrance.

During the incident, a man from Idaho Falls, Idaho, approached a bison and was injured, though the injuries were minor, according to the press release.

"Rangers responded to the area after receiving a report of an individual who harassed a herd of bison and kicked a bison in the leg. They located the suspect's vehicle near the West Entrance and stopped it in the town of West Yellowstone, Montana," the press release said.

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The individual was arrested and charged on multiple accounts and the incident is still under investigation. Full details of the incident can be read here.

Though it may seem like tourists are frequently injured by wildlife in the park, the Park noted that this was "the first reported incident of a visitor being injured by a bison in 2024" and noted there was only one reported incident in 2023 and three in 2022.

Inappropriate tourist activity unfortunately is common in Yellowstone National Park. Even actor Pierce Brosnan was recently fined because he didn't stay on the boardwalk. If you want to visit the Park this summer, please respect the Park rules.