It was the last animal on the list that had Orak worried. He said, “Felix, I am not sure coming here is a good idea. I recently read about a series of bison attacks here.”
“What are you talking about?” said a shocked Scorch.
“I know what you’re talking about, Orak,” replied Felix, “A few days ago, a bison charged at a 71-year-old woman. She was treated at the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Just a few days before that, another bison charged at a 34-year-old man. He was walking along with his family near the park’s famous Old Faithful geyser. The man pushed his child out of the bison’s path. But the bison gored the man and threw him into the air. He was treated for an arm injury.
In May, too, a 25-year-old woman was attacked by a bison and she was tossed 10 feet into the air.”
“Felix, why aren’t you worried?” said Verum.
“Well, one thing common in all three attacks was that the humans had accidentally come too close to the bison,” explained Felix, “Bison are extremely aggressive and territorial animals. This means they are possessive of the land they occupy. They can travel at speeds of 48 kilometers per hour. Did you know that bison are the biggest mammals in North America that live on land? They can weigh up to 900 kilograms.
You see, animals in the wild aren’t cute and cuddly creatures. They are called ‘wild animals’ for a reason. And we must respect their space. We should be careful and maintain our distance.”
“Oh, I get what you mean,” said Scorch, “How much distance should we maintain from bison?”
“And what to do if we come in contact with a bison despite being careful?” said Orak.
“According to officials, you should stay at least 75 feet away from a bison. But if you come in contact with one, turn around and go the other way. Avoid coming close to the bison as much as possible,” said Felix, “If you respect wild animals and their habitats, they will respect you.”