Tourist Filmed Taking Selfies Inches From Enormous Wild Bison

Image via @touronsofnationalparks

A tourist was filmed taking selfies dangerously close to a huge wild bison in a national park — just weeks after a photographer captured a man being hurled eight feet into the air by one.

Footage circulating widely online shows a woman and a child posing alongside a massive bison inside Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

The video, posted by @touronsofnationalparks, shows the woman standing just a few feet away from the bison as she takes selfies on her smartphone while another visitor films the encounter. A child then approaches to take a photo with the enormous wild animal, with the woman snapping pictures of him as he stands beside the bison and flashes a peace sign toward the camera.

Viewers were left shocked by the tourists’ reckless behavior around the animal in Badlands National Park, especially after a recent viral video showed a wild bison attacking a man who stopped to take a photo of it in Yellowstone Park. The video, which was filmed by a photographer nearby, showed the bison sprinting toward the man, ramming him with its head and knocking him high into the air. Last year, a Florida man was also gored by a bison after he approached one.

Visitors are advised to maintain a distance of at least 100 feet from bison, although giving the animals even more space is considered the safer option. While they may appear calm, bison can become aggressive if they feel threatened, particularly when approached too closely or when their path is blocked.

Park guidance warns against approaching bison for photographs, attempting to feed them, or trying to touch them. Signs of agitation can include staring, pawing the ground, snorting, raising their tail, or moving toward a person — in these situations, visitors should slowly move away and increase their distance.

If a bison is standing on or near a road, drivers are advised to remain inside their vehicles and wait for the animal to move rather than attempting to pass nearby. Bison can reach speeds of around 35 mph, making them much faster than humans.

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