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Selfies and bison don’t mix at Yellowstone

The reason for the “selfie” restriction is not for over-handed bureaucracy on the part of park officials, or for concern with the aesthetic quality of the photos; the reason is safety. The warning comes after a series of injuries afflicted to the selfie taker by the bison that isn’t as keen on being photographed in close proximity as the photographer imagines.

Recently a woman from Mississippi, visiting Yellowstone National Park, was tossed into the air after she turned her back on a bison to take a photo of herself with a friendly-looking bison. Following this, four other tourists were hurt in similar incidents. With the Mississippi resident case, the woman, aged 43, stood about 18 feet away from one of the bison. This was too great an encroachment into the ungulate’s territory.

Speaking with the BBC about the most recent injury, park spokeswoman Amy Bartlett noted: “The (woman) said they knew they were doing something wrong but thought it was OK because other people were nearby. “Noting that bison are not known for aggression towards humans, Wyoming, -based ranger Bartlett notes that “people are getting way too close,” inferring that a change in social relations between humans and the animals is triggering a defensive behavior in the animals. Simply, they feel threatened so they react to protect themselves.

New Park rules recommend that people should stay at least 75 feet away from the bison. Bison, the rule adds, are very large, heavy and they can move surprisingly quickly.

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Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news. Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.

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