The most universal sign of "no" is someone shaking their head. Even animals will shake their head when they want people to back off; you have to take the hint before you get hurt. American bison are one of those animals who need their personal space. One man ignored a bison's clear warning, entering the animal's bubble. As you might expect, it did not go over very well.
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The video, posted to the Instagram account Tourons of Yellowstone, shows two men on what looks like a construction site. The exact location is unknown. One is standing a couple of feet away from the massive animal. Common sense should tell you this is already a bad idea. As the man recording the video approaches, his buddy scratches the "fluffy cow" on the head. It looks like the bison is not happy with the interaction and only tolerates the man's presence. Since his buddy got away with petting the bison, obviously, the second man had to try it too. As the hand goes out, the bison gives a tell-tale sign to back it up, turning his face away from the man and shaking his head vigorously. Not taking the hint, the man pets the bison's head anyway, promptly angering the 2,000-pound animal and getting knocked to the ground. He's shocked at the result.
He's the only one. Viewers took to the comments marveling over the sheer gall the man displayed by approaching the bison. One writes, "We all knew that was coming." While another laughed at the reaction, writing, "LOL. He actually said 'what the f*ck' after it happened, as if he was at Petland petting a puppy. What (sic) did he think was going to happen?"
While they may look soft and cuddly, bison are anything but and should be given the respect and space they deserve.
