‘What do I do?!?’ Watch as bison herd sprints past tourists’ car in Yellowstone
Video on TikTok shows the nerve-wracking moment when a herd of buffalo rush right toward a driver in Yellowstone.
The beginning of the video shows the tourists driving along a road as the herd canters up to the road from the open plain. The driver starts to panic as they approach the road.
“Oh my god, what do I do?! I’m so scared!” the driver Alina says to her friend Marisah.
Marisah, who remains calm throughout the encounter, tells her friend it’ll be OK.
“It’s OK, they’re just crossing,” she says, just before the herd turns left and starts running toward them. “Or they’re coming right toward us.”
Alina’s panic becomes more apparent as the buffalo approach.
“They’re not gonna collide with us,” Marisah tells her. “They’re gonna go around.”
That’s exactly what the bison do. Marisah says “hi” to them as they pass by.
Alina takes the opposite approach.
“I’m not looking at them,” she says.
Both of them giggle with relief after the herd passes.
“Which panic response are you?” text over the video reads.
TikTok users shared in the humor in the comments. Some also noted that they acted appropriately given the situation.
“From someone that lives in these parts THANK YOU for being respectful & giving them space,” someone said.
“The first video I’ve seen where someone did what they were supposed to do when it comes to bison,” someone else wrote.
What to know about bison
Multiple people have been injured by bison.
In 2022, a 25-year-old woman was gored by a bison and tossed 10 feet into the air at Yellowstone National Park, rangers said. The woman had walked toward the bison on a boardwalk near the Old Faithful geyser and came within 10 feet.
A 34-year-old Colorado man was also gored by a bison while walking near Old Faithful with family when the animal charged toward them, according to park officials.
“Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal,” park rangers said. “They are unpredictable and can run three times faster than humans.”
Bison are huge animals that can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and run up to 30 mph, according to the park. Stay at least 75 feet away from bison at all times.
This story was originally published April 24, 2023 at 2:34 PM with the headline "‘What do I do?!?’ Watch as bison herd sprints past tourists’ car in Yellowstone."
