A woman learned the hard way that it's not a good idea to invade a bison's personal space when one gored her as she hiked Texas' Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway. Rebecca Clark posted footage of the moment the large mammal attacked her on TikTok, which immediately went viral with more than two million views. In the short clip, Clark tells the bison to "keep going" and that she "just wants to get by them." You can hear in the clip a warning growl coming from one of the animals as Clark tries to walk by them far too closely.
As she passes the animals, you can see their tails swishing, which can be taken as a warning sign of agitation. Clark thanked the bison as she walked around them, stating she didn't want "to go through the bushes again." That's right about the moment when the group's most enormous bison turns and charges. Clark lets out an expletive before the camera goes crazy as the chaos tosses the phone into a bush.
@rebeccaclark Solo hiking at Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway in Texas. I was charged and gored by a bison because I was to CLOSE to be passing them on a trailway They are beautiful creatures protected by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and are a part of the Texas State Bison Restoration Project where the park has restored the historic Charles Goodnight Bison herd (The Official Texas State Bison Herd) to a portion of its former range in the park. I am posting to support safety while enjoying Texas State Parks #TPWD #bisonetiquette101 #hikingsafety #llbean #chaos #rei
"He rammed my back, gored me, and threw me into a mesquite bush where I laid for 50 minutes until help arrived," Clark said in a follow-up video. Because there was limited phone service and 911 wasn't available, she sent a message to family and friends, who were able to send help to the scene.
Officials airlifted Clark to a hospital, where she was treated and released. She recovered but suffered a hole in her back from the animal's horn, plus cuts from various stickers and thorns from the bush she was knocked into. She has since posted several follow-up videos on the dangers of bison that she learned after the incident, including the tail swishing that is a warning sign of a bison being agitated.
She also acknowledged that she was far too close to the animal, stating that 50 yards is the minimum safe distance. The National Park Service has a 25-yard guideline for bison, but further away is usually better, especially considering how quickly these animals can turn and run down a person. It's been a jam-packed season for bison/human encounters. Here's hoping Clark's video helps educate others on the dangers of messing with these large animals.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Instagram For original videos, check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
