Woman is attacked and injured by a bison just two days after Yellowstone National Park reopened to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic(16 Pics)
A woman was knocked down by a bison yesterday just two days after Yellowstone National Park reopened to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In the first bison attack of the year the woman was mowed down by the beast on Wednesday at Upper Greyson Basin near Old Faithful.
She approached the animal too quickly and failed keep a safe distance away, according to a statement from the park.
The woman was looked over by first responders but refused transport to a medical facility.
A herd of bison and their calves share the road with visitors to Yellowstone April 22, 2018. In the first bison attack of the year a woman was mowed down by the beast on Wednesday at Upper Greyson Basin near Old Faithful
Tourists are asked to stay at least 25 yards away from bison and other large animals including elk, deer and coyotes (file image)
Yellowstone National Park reopened on Monday after being closed to the public since March despite fears that beauty spots could be ideal places for the coronavirus to spread
Tourists are asked to stay at least 25 yards away from bison and other large animals including elk, deer and coyotes. For bears and wolves they should stay at least 100 years away, the statement read.
Yellowstone National Park reopened on Monday after being closed to the public since March despite fears that beauty spots could be ideal places for the coronavirus to spread.
Thousands of visitors made the journey across the states to one of America's most popular national parks, many of whom were seen without protective face masks.
'We have been cooped up for weeks,' one visitor from Florida, Jacob Willis, told the Guardian. 'When the parks opened, we jumped at the opportunity to travel.'
The visitors have been welcomed back to national parks across the country on a limited basis since Friday. The National Parks Service said that there is a ban on tour buses, overnight camping and lodging at Yellowstone.
She approached the animal too quickly and failed keep a safe distance away, according to a statement from the park. Pictured, a traffic jam is caused by bison in the park in 2017
Pictured: A family poses in front of a Yellowstone National Park sign yesterday as the park is reopened to visitors after a two-month lockdown
Pictured: People pose next to a sign by the Old Faithful Geyser yesterday as the park is reopened to visitors after a two-month lockdown
Pictured: A woman sits on the bank of a river flowing through Yellowstone National Park yesterday as the park is reopened to visitors after a two-month lockdown
A more expansive reopening began on Monday for the southern portion of the Wyoming-side of Yellowstone, which is known for its spectacular geothermal features and abundant wildlife.
The opening, which saw thousands of visitors, was criticized by some health officials who checked webcam footage of one of the park's biggest attractions, Old Faithful.
Kristin Brengel, senior vice-president of government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association, said: 'Not much physical distancing happening and not a single mask in sight.'
Locals added that it seemed most of the visitors had come from other parts of America.
Pictured: A family poses in Yellowstone National Park yesterday as the park is reopened to visitors after a two-month lockdown
Pictured: People pose in Yellowstone National Park yesterday as the park is reopened to visitors after a two-month lockdown
Pictured: A woman poses on a trail in Yellowstone National Park as the park reopened to visitors after a two-month lockdown
Doors opened to the natural beauty sight at 12am but cars, from as far away as Washington and New York, were seen queuing from 5.30am.
Entrance to the site was free and rangers followed measures to curb the spread of the virus, wearing face masks and trying to disperse crowds who failed to social distance.
Complicating Yellowstone's reopening: Wyoming recently lifted a 14-day self-quarantine order for out-of-state visitors on nonessential business, but one remains in effect in Montana.
Last week, National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly described Yellowstone's split approach as a good way to help rangers get ready for a new visitor experience that will discourage shoulder-to-shoulder crowding at thermal features - summer scenes common in Yellowstone.
'I would prefer it's not just a light switch and the park is open and we get inundated and overwhelmed and aren't able to handle it,' Sholly said.
A 'massive amount of signage' was ready to be put up to promote social distancing, Sholly said, adding that public cooperation would determine when all park services could resume without further interruption.
Complicating Yellowstone's reopening: Wyoming recently lifted a 14-day self-quarantine order for out-of-state visitors on nonessential business, but one remains in effect in Montana
Most of Yellowstone is in Wyoming, with small portions overlapping in Montana and Idaho. But typically about 70 per cent of traffic into the park passes through three gates in Montana.
The three gates will open no sooner than June 1 to help communities near Yellowstone get ready for an influx of visitors, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said Wednesday.
'While our economy certainly relies upon and we appreciate our visitors, we also want to ensure that those visitors don´t bring problems, meaning their infections, from their home state to our state. And when they do, we want to make sure that Montana is prepared,' Bullock said at a news conference.
Handheld sprayer prototype used to disinfect surfaces at Yellowstone
An NPS employee interacts with a visitor through a protective barrier. An extension arm prototype used to maintain a safe distance at Yellowstone
The other 30 per cent goes through two entrances in Wyoming. After those gates open next week, only the southern half of the park - including Old Faithful Geyser and popular thermal features nearby - will be accessible at first and then only for day use.
Restrooms, gas stations, trails and boardwalks will be first to open. No camping, lodging, restaurants or tours will be available at first, though park officials will immediately begin looking at offering camping, cabin lodging, take-out dining and other limited services, Sholly said in a conference call with news media and regional business owners.
Hotel lodging and bus tours could be allowed later in the summer but won't be discussed any sooner than June, Sholly said.
Just south of Yellowstone in Wyoming, Grand Teton National Park announced a similar phased approach to reopening except two big hotels, Jackson Lodge and Jenny Lake Lodge, definitely will not open this summer, Superintendent Gopaul Noojibail said on the call.
Payment system prototype at North Entrance Station
An NPS employee interacts with visitors through a protective barrier while all are wearing facial coverings at Yellowstone
The parks' closure March 24 at the urging of health officials made little immediate difference for tourism - the parks remain substantially snow-covered in March and April and get few visitors - but that is changing quickly. Visitation picks up significantly this time of year.
In a similar call April 21, Sholly had described health officers in Montana and Wyoming offering conflicting advice on when to reopen Yellowstone as a 'worst-case scenario.' Both states have had among the lowest rates of coronavirus infection and deaths in the US.
Trump on April 22 called for national parks and other public places to reopen, citing 'significant progress against the invisible enemy.' Sholly said he felt 'zero' political pressure but recognized many businesses near the park were eager for the park to reopen.
Roads to the south and east of the park were reopened on April 18 to allow small numbers of visitors to enjoy the scenery
'Everybody wants to get these economies moving. But we don't want to do it recklessly or put ourselves in a situation where we open it up too soon and suffer repercussions later in summer,' Sholly said. 'We have four very solid months in front of us. I think if we do it right, we can still have a very good year economically.'
Yellowstone gets about four million visitors a year. May is much less busy than June, July, August and September, Sholly said.
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon called the announcement 'really good news' that would help tourism, the state's second-biggest industry after fossil-fuel extraction.
Visitors to both parks are encouraged to wear face coverings in high-density areas.
Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon are the latest of several major Park Service units that have begun to welcome back visitors or will be partially reopened in the coming weeks, including Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Zion National Park in Utah and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina.
Woman is attacked and injured by a bison just two days after Yellowstone National Park reopened to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic(16 Pics)
![Woman is attacked and injured by a bison just two days after Yellowstone National Park reopened to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic(16 Pics)]()
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May 22, 2020
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