Yellowstone tourists got more than they bargained for the other day when a group of bison charge at them. To be fair, all things considered, I actually side with the bison here. When you learn the reason these bison charged I think you will understand too.
Bison Charge Into Crowd At Yellowstone
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There is a plethora of wildlife at Yellowstone National Park. From bison to wolves, to bald eagles there really is a bit of everything. If you are lucky enough to encounter some of that wildlife on your trip, it truly is a joy. Tourists thought that they had hit the jackpot when they noticed a pack of wolves descending upon a bison calf.
The pack easily took the calf down and began feasting on its flesh. All of the tourists whipped out their cameras to capture this epic moment of the circle of life. However, the bison herd was no so happy that the humans were making a spectacle of them losing one of their own. Whether it was fear or frustration, we may never know. However one thing we do know is that this herd of bison went full stampede mode.
Photographer Jeff Vanuga shared details from the moment. "Instead of running the opposite way, the bison ran toward everybody watching them," he said. "They threaded their way through a few vehicles, snowmobiles and at least 50 people."
Fortunately, the event was handled by park staff and no one was hurt during the stampede. While users on Facebook tried to place the blame on tourists, Jeff argues that everyone acted appropriately.
Why Did The Bison Charge?
While charging and stampedes are something that are in a bison's nature, Jeff Vanuga argues there was a specific reason this time. "I attribute that little stampeded to that situation that was going on below," he stated. "I've seen wolves push animals up towards the road, and bison can stampede. I haven't seen bison running toward people before, but in this case, they were really hyped up because of the wolf attack."
Honestly, the entire situation is a little crazy but completely understandable. The herd was frantic from being chased by wolves, and charged over the fact that they lost one of their own. Particularly a younger member of the herd.
