Katie Rogers reports at the NYT that officials at Yellowstone National Park are warning visitors not to fraternize with wildlife after a woman was injured while trying to take a selfie near a bison — but that hasn't stopped some visitors from posting their close encounters on social media. A notice released by the National Park Service details how a 43-year-old and her child turned their backs to a bison while trying to take a selfie while the animal was 6 yards away. The visitors tried to get away when they heard the bison approach, but the animal lifted the woman up and tossed her with its head. She is the fifth person to be injured in an encounter with one of the park's bison this summer.
The park's warnings are not subtle: Upon entering, visitors receive a bright yellow flier that depicts a person getting gored by a bison. According to Julena Campbell, summer, which is breeding season, is the most dangerous time to be near the animals. "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," says Colleen Rawlings, a ranger in the park's Old Faithful District. "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."
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @07:26AM
...would you? Of course you would. The best possible outcome is you die by drowning in jizz, but what a selfie that would make!
The lesson is: be a moron. Follow the sucking crowd. You know you want to. Moron.
(Score: 3, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @08:56AM
It's too bad these idiots survived. I mean, the world was almost rid of their stupidity but someone just had to help them instead of letting nature take it's course. *sigh*
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Tuesday August 04 2015, @04:27PM
I suppose we should be thankful they don't euthanize the bison for acting like wild animals. Too often any conflict between people and wildlife ends up with dead wildlife, even if it is the fault (as it usually is) of the people involved. If it is something like a snake or alligator, they only have to make the mistake of being seen by humans and they killed without reason.
(Score: 1, Disagree) by KBentley57 on Tuesday August 04 2015, @04:58PM
I moderated your post as troll, because that's just what it is. Take a step back and look at what you said for a moment. You wished death on these people, for making what was probably an innocent mistake. Don't devalue a human life on such simple grounds.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Ethanol-fueled on Tuesday August 04 2015, @05:23PM
What was probably an innocent mistake, perhaps some people believe.
No, it wasn't an innocent mistake, it was typical human arrogance compounded by the fact that those morons think interacting with wildlife is like being Crocodile Hunter, where they can just walk the fuck up to and grab and pet anything without consequences. There is also often a religious component to human arrogance, as many believe that humans are somehow "better" or "above" the other animals and/or have God on their side, a belief that anybody with a functioning hindbrain could determine to be false with just a little life-experience.
Humans must be reminded from time to time who really runs this planet, and the smarter ones are reminded through the mistakes of others like the morons described in the article. This is not even a freak accident like a shark attack or being surprised by a starving mountain lion -- these are just people being dumb shits, and they're lucky to still be alive.
Would you feel sympathy for dickheads who exhibited such an astounding lack of judgement that they got drunk and played Russian Roulette for fun? No? Then you shouldn't feel sympathy for dipshits who think that the Great Wide Open is their personal fucking petting zoo.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by KBentley57 on Tuesday August 04 2015, @06:22PM
Take a glass of wine and check yourself. I didn't say what they did wasn't stupid. Put your own mother, father, sibling or child in that situation, does it change your mind? If not you're just an old hateful hag. If so, you're being hypocritical. Last time I checked even "dumb shits" however stupidly annoying, and harmful to society had a right to life. Or is it that you are humanity's self appointed judge, jury, and executioner? Please. You're not that important.
Nice fallacy for some icing on the hate cake.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:50PM
My mother, father, and siblings were raised well enough to not be so goddamn stupid. If I had a child, they would have been supervised and raised to not be so goddamn stupid.
What I said is my opinion, and you're free to disagree with it.
But you're right about one thing, it is logical fallacy day -- namely your appeal to emotion in trying to invoke my family, and some other dipshit in another discussion attacking the source of my link ad-hominem style.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:57PM
It's almost funny that you're demanding a sympathetic mindset from him, because he does raise a fundamentally valid point, and all you raise is a false dichotomy.
The valid point is that nature is wild. You fuck around with something that hasn't been tamed, and anything that happens is your own fault. If it was someone who was suckered by a Nigerian scammer or Identity thief, would you be so sympathetic? What about if it was someone who was suckered by a door-to-door salesman? Or a politician?
No, if you wander up to a wild animal and it attacks you, it is your own damned fault. Doesn't matter who you are.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by guizzy on Tuesday August 04 2015, @07:19PM
So you never did anything that was in retrospect stupid and dangerous? Ever? In your whole life?
And if you did, the only difference is that you were lucky enough that the worst didn't happen.
Wishing that people had died from making a stupid mistake (and mistake is the key word; for all we know that person doesn't make it a habig of making bad decisions) is callous, cringeworthy edgy teenager stuff.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @10:12PM
Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but what I get from his post is that he is the type that would have learned something from his actions. Most of the responses here are of the "Oh the poor dear! Somebody should do something about these wild animals!" type.
Someone did something incredibly stupid, the result of ignorance and assumption, and she was extremely fortune that she was not killed for her stupidity: the responsibility lies with her.
Here's the result of a quick DuckDuckGo search for Yellowstone [pinimg.com] warning [crazyus.com] signs [pinimg.com].
She ignored those. That seems pretty fucking stupid to me.
Don't defend or have sympathy for those lucky enough that their stupidity didn't get them killed. If you still think that you should, might I suggest heading out to Oakland, find an area particularly strong in gangs, and just start screaming out racial obscenities? We'll have a laugh at your expense, and a beer or two, but one thing's for sure: we won't mourn you.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2015, @05:57PM
There was no mistake here, they blatantly ignored the warnings telling them that they could fucking die by getting too close:
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Tuesday August 04 2015, @07:44PM
The Crocodile Hunter knew what he was doing for the most part and even he ended up dead. As to your religious aspect. God put man in charge of the garden of Eden and he was supposed to Take Care of the garden and Animals. Sin has entered the world and now, anyone dumb enough to go hug a lion will just have to deal with the consequences. Religion doesn't automatically make you arrogant. In contrast a True Christian shouldn't be arrogant, but should point others towards Christ. Christ working through the Holy Spirit is what changes hearts and wins Souls for the Kingdom. Telling off someone will only drive them away. What I am saying is that religion didn't have anything to do with the crazy person's idea of safety around an animal that can weigh up to a ton or more. At that weight, an accident involving a docile creature could be disastrous to any normal sized human.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @10:19PM
I think my friend said it best when he said "Cut the Jesus crap and make with the pies."
(Score: 3, Informative) by bradley13 on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:09AM
Even domestic animals shouldn't be trifled with. We just had a German woman here in Switzerland get killed by a cow. The woman approached the cow on a hiking path, the cow had a calf with it and felt threatened. That, as they say, was that. Likely, the woman didn't even do anything really wrong, other than not realizing that cows with calves are dangerous.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 3, Informative) by sudo rm -rf on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:31AM
Even domestic animals shouldn't be trifled with
So true. I personally know one woman who is sitting in a wheelchair because her horse kicked her in the back, apparently without reason.
Found these for examples from the US:
Illustrative Case Reports
The following case summaries illustrate the most common circumstances of the cases identified for this report.
Case 1. In August 2005, a woman in Missouri aged 65 years was removing a dead, newborn calf from a pasture when a cow knocked her down, stomped her, and butted her while she was lying on the ground. The coroner reportedly stated that death resulted from blunt force trauma to the woman's head and chest. No autopsy was performed.
Case 2. In November 2005, a man in Iowa aged 65 years was helping his son sort beef cattle for loading onto a truck. He was attempting to guide one of the animals toward the truck when it turned into him, crushing him against the barn door. According to witnesses, he stopped breathing immediately. The medical examiner's report stated that death was caused by blunt force trauma to the man's chest.
Case 3. In April 2006, a man in Iowa aged 63 years was herding cattle into his dairy barn for milking when a bull came into the barn and repeatedly butted him, pinned him against a fence, and stomped him. According to the attending physician's death record, the man sustained multiple rib fractures, lacerated pulmonary arteries, and head injuries. The man's family said that the bull was known to be dangerous and had been threatening in the past.
Case 4. In August 2007, a man in Iowa aged 45 years who was working alone in a pasture was attacked by a bull that had been bottle-fed and raised by the family but, according to family members, had become more aggressive recently. The attack was not witnessed, but the man was able to call his wife for assistance on his cell phone before he died and told her he had been attacked. According to the state medical examiner's autopsy report, he died of blunt force injuries to the chest.
Reported by: WT Sanderson, PhD, MD Madsen, MBA, Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health and the Injury Prevention Research Center, College of Public Health, Dept of Occupational and Environmental Health, Univ of Iowa, Iowa City.
source [cdc.gov]
(Score: 4, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:51AM
Common sense but, based on my own experience:
Cows are nice, and some can be trusted to an extend (there is some variation as well between different breeds). For unknown animals, avoid turning your back on them. And do not trust them at all when they are with calves. You CAN actually fight them off if they attack, even with bare hands, but you will have to be quick and effective, and once you are down its too late. If you have to do something that they do not like, take a stick with you. And be careful in tight spots, even if they did not directly intend it, its easy to get crushed by a large animal.
Never walk past the back of a horse. No exceptions. Even if its the sweetest animal you know, they do not know their own strength (and just kick without looking). And some cannot help biting on things...
Never ever trust a bull. Imagine the guy turning aggressive when drinking, and then 10x worse. They are drunk on testosterone. And get pissed off by the smallest thing. Always have them collared when herding. Its pointless to fight them without weapons (and a wooden stick will not do).
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday August 04 2015, @06:04PM
Common sense indeed. Would you pet a strange dog? How about attempting to pick up a stray cat?
People are just incredibly dumb. They don't stop and think about their actions.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Immerman on Wednesday August 05 2015, @11:38AM
Yes, also with strange horses and various wild animals.
The key is to treat them with respect: they're not a toy for your entertainment. If you wish to interact with them then catch their attention, *offer* an interaction, and leave them alone if *they* don't take the initiative. And just like with that large heavily scarred biker at the bar, keep in mind that inviting the attention of something potentially dangerous isn't necessarily in your best interest. We are descended from prey animals after all.
Other tips:
- Move slowly: they don't know your intentions so make sure you move slowly and clearly enough to telegraph them. Non-tame animals will generally do the same with you, and you should be on guard and consider leaving immediately if they don't
- Don't go taking liberties - just because an animal "talks" with you or sniffs your hand doesn't mean you should try to touch it - caressing is a fairly intimate activity for most animals: you can ask, but move slowly and don't press the issue if it shies away or acts aggressive. Think of it like interacting with a person who doesn't speak your language - simple greetings and pantomime/tonal comments about mood or the weather are one thing, stroking their back quite another.
- Sniffing noses is a near-universal friendly greeting among mammals, not unlike a lingering handshake or quick hug among humans - not necessarily shared with strangers, don't push it, but if you're not comfortable having the animal's face that close to your own you should probably just leave it alone entirely.
- More than momentary eye contact, and baring of teeth, are near universal threatening gestures among animals. Don't stare or show your teeth while smiling - they'll likely think you're trying to pick a fight. And if they do either, back off.
- If the animal is potentially seriously dangerous, even accidentally, make sure you can understand enough of their basic communication to distinguish between curiosity, fear, anger, and (if a predator) hunger. Better yet, stay away entirely. Heck, cows freak me out - those big empty eyes tell me nothing about what's gong on in their heads.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 05 2015, @05:08AM
I think this comment is the most correct from my own experience as part of a family that formerly ran a dairy. As long as you respect that a cow is much bigger and much stupider and jumpier than you, you will be fine 99% of the time. I even had a show cow and would lead her around, kind of treating her as a pet before she got mastitis and had to be put down.
That other 1% or less, something bad will happen because of...whatever. My dad got his arm shredded down to the fat and bone by a cow kicking him while she was in a stall being milked! This cow had a bad temper, anyway, but still, he went to the hospital.
I never saw any trouble with cows and calves, but, again, this may be because this was a dairy rather than an open range. I personally assisted in several complicated births, in fact, something that would probably make the rest of you city slickers puke. (GALLONS of placenta and shit, mixing together on the shit-covered ground!)
OTOH, comment on the bull is 110% correct. It's like a bear: do not run, just back away slowly without turning around. The best idea is not to be in the pen with it. We had a bull because, for whatever reason, a small percentage of cows would only breed with natural fucking rather than artificial insemination.
Oh, and yes, sans the bull, you could tell a cow was in heat because other cows would hump her like a bull, proving homosexuality exists outside of humans, at least while the one cow was in heat.
(Score: 1) by Marco2G on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:36AM
I didn't even hear about that.
One thing makes me wonder, though: Why mention that she was German? Does Germany not have any cows? I'd expect they have more than we do, given that the country is way larger than ours.
(Score: 2) by bradley13 on Tuesday August 04 2015, @11:29AM
Actually, I think the point was the she was from Berlin, i.e., a city girl. Dunno if it was relevant or not - I don't think anyone quite know what happened.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @01:55PM
> Why mention that she was German?
Helloooooo? The Holocaust? Someone needs their coffee this morning.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:42AM
Wait a second there, professor. Are you saying animals that weigh over a thousand pounds can be dangerous? But how is it even possible??
(Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Tuesday August 04 2015, @01:17PM
They're not a problem if you remember to wear your Najarala [wikia.com] gear (or your personal favorite). Don't forget to get those carves! Bison, mm, so tasty!
(Score: 2, Informative) by xav on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:36AM
... it's ok if the bison wants to take a selfie with you. No need to run.
(Score: 4, Funny) by aristarchus on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:43AM
The one I heard was that a Bison gored a French tourist with a camera. (wait for it!) And I didn't even know that Bison carried cameras!! Oh, ho, so funny. Did I ever tell you about when I was on Safari in Africa (Groucho Marx here)? I once shot an elephant in my pajamas! How he got into my pajamas, I'll never know! And did I tell you the one about the Minnesota dentist that baited an alpha male lion out of a protected area and then. . . . OK, funny gone.
(Score: 0, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @09:44AM
Take a selfie with a penguin instead. Tux the penguin is always cool. Linux forever!
(Score: 4, Insightful) by MrNemesis on Tuesday August 04 2015, @10:58AM
Some other advice that park rangers should consider distributing around worldwide parks:
Don't swim in crocodile/alligator-infested waters
Outside can be cold (depending on weather); use clothes to retain warmth
When camping make sure you take the number of not just one but two pizza delivery companies, in case one of them doesn't deliver to your campsite
Do not hurl self off geological features such as El Capitan or injury might ccur
Rattlesnakes should not be inserted rectally, even if you're triple dog-dared
Sailing down a fjord is an awesome spectacle but resist the temptation to set fire to your own boat in homage to viking burial practices
When playing hide and seek in Los Angeles resist the temptation to hide inside the La Brea tar pits
"To paraphrase Nietzsche, I have looked into the abyss and been sick in it."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @03:50PM
(Score: 4, Informative) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday August 04 2015, @11:09AM
I grew up in the Rockies north of Yellowstone and went there quite a lot as a kid and young man. In high school a friend and I did a trip down there and went through the north entrance because we wanted to camp in the Mammoth campground near the Mammoth hot springs and limestone terraces [shannontech.com]. The Boiling River Trail [hikespeak.com] at the bottom of that hill admits the heated water from the terraces in cascades to the cold Gardiner River that runs along the base of the plateau. It's a great swimming hole, with the hot water mixing with the cold in grades.
Anyway it's a favorite with the rangers and park employees who live there through the summer and year-round and you often meet them there taking their ease. On that occasion we struck up a conversation with one about animal attacks in the park. The wolves had been recently reintroduced there and we were wondering if there had been any encounters between the new packs and the visitors. The ranger said no, and there hadn't been any with bears that year either. Those are rarer than people think because most people have the sense not to get too close to bears. I said yeah I remembered more people getting attacked by the bison. He said actually more people get killed and seriously injured because they get too close to moose, who have poor vision and hearing, and startle when camera flashes go off. But the animal responsible for the most trouble is the elk. People don't think elk are dangerous, because popular lore tells people's brains that they're like a bigger version of bambi.
The moral of the story is that wild animals are wild and can hurt you, even the ones that look cute and cuddly.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Tuesday August 04 2015, @04:22PM
The moral of the story is that wild animals are wild and can hurt you, even the ones that look cute and cuddly.
No kidding, especially when with young. My back deck, where I have a bird bath, was visited frequently by a female raccoon that obviously was nursing. She pretty much ignored me when she came for a drink and I was able to slide open the door wide enough to get pictures. However, when she first showed up with the young ones it was a different story. When I slid the door open a bit she immediately charged, growling and snarling. I jumped back and shut the door, she came right up to it looking very aggressive. She then gathered up the young ones and departed.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @07:22PM
Just a little myth dispelling: wolf attacks on humans are incredibly rare, as in just a few per century and many of those are in dispute. Bear attacks are several orders of magnitude more common but are still quite rare. Wikipedia even keeps a list containing all the fatal ones. Moose, elk, raccoon, even squirrels and other seemingly more benign animals are far more dangerous on a numbers basis.
As a backpacker I fear raccoons the most. Aggressive, curious, and disease carrying. They are not easily dissuaded and one scratch or bite a ways away from civilization can be as serious as many snake bites. Second is moose, but only during the two seasons (rut and calf). Honestly if I had to go with a third I'd pick other humans...
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Wednesday August 05 2015, @01:27AM
Even Bambi deer will try to kick your teeth out if you go up to them, especially if there are a few of them, they're not as friendly as they are in the Disney cartoons.
I was fortunate enough to grow up with a grandma who had a horse ranch. One of the things you learn from something like that is you know always in the back of your mind that some animals will always be able to kick your ass.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday August 05 2015, @08:46AM
Haha, I had a Blackfoot Indian friend who lived on a farm on the edge of town. They had a bay mare and a cute older pony. My friend was the better rider and took the mare, riding bareback holding the mane (he said that was his Indian pride to not use saddles). So he gave me the pony, saddled. That thing was the meanest bitch you ever saw, kicking, biting, trying to scrape you off under low-hanging branches. Now when my kids watch My Little Poney I think of that beast and say, "Cute, my ass."
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @11:28AM
Darwin at work. Let them kill themselves, the gene pool is healthier for it.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @01:48PM
Be careful when drinking di-hydrogen monoxide. It can present a choking hazard.
You know what it is. Because someone taught you what it is. Some people do not realize wild animals are dangerous. The biggest danger they have is someone running a stoplight. Do not confuse stupid with does not know.
Stupid is 'hold my beer while I...'
Unknowledgeable is 'here hold this container with something in it' 'what is it?' 'oh just a container of hydrofluoric acid'
The difference is subtle but meaningful. Knowledge comes from learning. Stupidity is done in spite of knowledge.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @10:22PM
Seriously? Two words for you:Warning [pinimg.com] signs [crazyus.com]. She knew the risk, she was informed. She chose to ignore them at her own peril. She gets no sympathy from me for being a dumbass.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday August 04 2015, @02:14PM
There are no "safe animals". It's already been mentioned that domesticated animals are dangerous - the one thing no one has mentioned are dogs. Yes, your well behaved little chihuahua turns into a pack animal when he escapes the house. He can't take down a deer by himself, or a small child - but he is a pack animal. He will run that deer, or small child, as part of the pack, and he'll take his turn nipping at the deer's, or child's, heels to wear the prey out.
Turning your back on any animal is a risk.
(Score: 1) by moondrake on Tuesday August 04 2015, @03:04PM
Well, to be fair to the animals, I tend to think that a dog that accepts you as his/her pack leader is probably more loyal compared to the average human.
How many times you heard someone divorced his dog?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @03:45PM
> How many times you heard someone divorced his dog?
If he goes around humping other legs, I'm throwing him out on his fuzzy ass.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday August 04 2015, @03:57PM
You don't need to divorce your dog. You have fun with it a few years, and then you can put it down.
A simpler approach to companionship, really.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @03:17PM
Don't forget the most dangerous animal of all.
Humans.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday August 04 2015, @07:19PM
That's the money quote. The confusion arises because humans have domesticated so many animals and consider them safe. Kids who grow up in farm country learn the provisos. "Don't walk behind a horse." "Don't enrage the bull." "Don't have sex with the sheep." Still there are the urban (rural?) legends of the farmer whose family left to visit inlaws for the weekend, went to slop the hogs, slipped and knocked himself out, and was found by the returning wife and kids half-eaten by the hogs.
All animals attack.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Tuesday August 04 2015, @11:31PM
Bison takes selfie with YOU.
With your phone.
And your bleeding body.
And posts it to your Facebook profile.
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