A woman has shared video footage showing dozens of bison charging past her at close quarters as she stood on a bridge in Yellowstone National Park.
Jessica Metts wrote Sunday on Facebook that the “super scary” encounter occurred on her group’s first day in the park on Sept. 9. They were walking on the bridge after a hike and became “cut off from the car” as the bison began to charge.
“The running of the bulls, Yellowstone style,” Metts wrote. “Climbed behind the guardrail till the herd passed.”
She later discovered that bison routinely cross the bridge near Tower-Roosevelt, in the northern portion of the park, and cautioned others not to walk on the bridge.
Her post was widely viewed on the Yellowstone Insiders Hub group Facebook page.
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Among the comments:
–“That’s definitely a little more up close and personal than I would ever want to be to a running herd of bison!”
–”Road or not it’s their land so a Buffalo has to do what a Buffalo will do, so get out of the way and let them pass.”
–”That would be scary standing there by that guard rail. Ya never know when one is going to veer off and attack. So glad one didn’t. Incredible video.”
Yellowstone guidelines mandate that tourists remain 25 yards from bison when outside their vehicles, but those guidelines are often ignored.
In Metts’ case they could not have been followed as the bison moved quickly across the bridge, forcing her to take cover and watch them pass.
To those saying she should not have been standing so close to the bison, Metts wrote, “It was super scary and my only remaining escape was an 8’ drop [off the bridge] and then down the canyon.”
Metts did not respond to a request by FTW Outdoors for more details.
–Image courtesy of Jessica Metts/Facebook