Bison Do Not Want To Be in Your Selfies (and It Would Be Safer If You Stopped Trying)

Yellowstone National Park had its fifth bison-related injury of the summer after a 43-year-old woman tried to take a selfie with the 3,500-pound animal.

According to a press release, the woman and her daughter were standing about six yards away from the bison when she tried to take a picture with it. A stranger warned them that they were dangerously close, but it was too late: the animal lifted the woman and tossed her into the air with its head.

Surprisingly, the woman walked away with only minor injuries. Even more surprising is the fact that her story isn't that uncommon. According to the Huffington Post, at least two other people have been hurt this year while taking pictures with bison at Yellowstone. One was a 16-year-old from Taiwan, and the other was a 62-year-old Australian tourist. 

Despite the fact that the park releases notices and posts signs of all kinds warning visitors to stay a safe distance from animals, many tourists don't follow the warnings. In the press release, it's noted that a "safe distance" from even the tamest wildlife is 25 yards from large animals such as bison, coyotes, and moose, and 100 yards from bear and wolves.

Of course, while animals may not want to be in your selfies, they usually aren't too shy about taking their own.