Florida man gored by bison in Yellowstone’s first wildlife injury of 2025

This is the first wildlife-related injury reported in Yellowstone in 2025.

A 47-year-old man from Cape Coral, Florida, was gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park on Saturday after getting too close to the animal, park officials said.

The incident occurred around 3:15 p.m. on May 4 in the Lake Village area of the park. According to a press release from Yellowstone National Park, the man sustained minor injuries and was treated by emergency medical personnel at the scene. The incident is under investigation, and no additional details have been released.

This marks the first reported bison-related injury in the park this year. There were two similar incidents in 2024 and one in 2023.

Park officials emphasized that animals in Yellowstone are wild and can be dangerous no matter how calm they appear to be if people don’t respect their space. The safest (and often best) view of wildlife is from inside a vehicle.

Visitors should stay at least 25 yards away from large animals such as bison, elk and moose and 100 yards away from predators like bears and wolves. If an animal approaches, people should back away to maintain a safe distance.

Bison are unpredictable and will defend their space when threatened. The massive animals can run three times faster than humans and have injured more visitors in Yellowstone than any other species in the park.

Yellowstone also reminds visitors to never feed the animals as they can become dependent on human food, may become aggressive toward people and have to be killed. Keep all food, garbage or other smelly items packed away when not in use.

For more on how to stay safe around wildlife while visiting Yellowstone, park officials urge travelers to review Yellowstone’s safety guidelines.

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