A Minnesota woman suffered severe injuries Saturday after an encounter with a bison at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.
Park officials were alerted to an incident involving a bison and a park visitor on the Painted Canyon Trailhead at approximately 11 a.m. local time, according to a Tuesday press release from the National Park Service.
Park rangers, Billings County Sheriff’s Office first responders and Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived on the scene and provided treatment to the unidentified woman for her injuries until an ambulance arrived. EMTs brought the woman to a hospital in nearby Dickinson, where she was then transported to a hospital in Fargo for further care. She was last reported to be in “serious but stable condition,” according to the press release.
Bison attack leaves woman seriously injured at Theodore Roosevelt National Park https://t.co/NjAToJJWqE
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While details surrounding the incident remain unknown, park officials said the woman sustained “significant injuries to her abdomen and foot.”
Park regulations instruct visitors to stay at least 25 yards (or the length of two buses) away from larger mammals including bison, elk, deer, pronghorn and horses. Bison bulls are particularly aggressive during rutting season which runs from mid-July through August. “Use extra caution and give them additional space during this time,” the release reads. (RELATED: Woman Nearly Gored To Death After Trying To Pet Bison In Yellowstone National Park)
“Park staff send their sincere well wishes to her and her family as she continues to receive care and recover,” according to the press release.