Bison Attacks Woman at Yellowstone Amidst a Selfie

A Yellowstone bison attacked and flipped a woman into the air while she was taking a selfie with her daughter on Tuesday.

"The family said they read the warnings in both the park literature and the signage, but saw other people close to the bison, so they thought it would be OK," Colleen Rawlings, Old Faithful District Ranger, said on the National Park Service website.

"People need to recognize that Yellowstone wildlife is wild, even though they seem docile. This woman was lucky that her injuries were not more severe."

Officials said the 43-year-old woman was treated for minor injuries, and was the fifth person injured in a bison encounter this summer.

The woman and her daughter were approximately six yards from the animal, near the trailhead of Fairy Falls. When they turned their backs to snap a selfie photo, they heard the bison's footsteps moving rapidly toward them. They tried to run, but the bison caught up and hit the woman from the left, smacking her into the air with its head. The family then drove to the Old Faithful Clinic.

Park rangers said the incident is a good reminder that bison can sprint three times faster than humans, and should always be considered dangerous.

According to CNN, there are roughly 5,000 bison in Yellowstone.

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