Bison injures woman in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

A bison severely injured a woman visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, leaving her with multiple wounds — just days after a similar attack in Yellowstone National Park.

The victim, identified only as a female tourist from Minnesota, was in serious but stable condition after suffering “significant injuries to her abdomen and foot,” according to the National Park Service.

The victim was at the Painted Canyon Trailhead around 11 a.m. Saturday when she was attacked by the bison.

Park rangers, Billings County sheriff’s deputies and paramedics arrived and treated the woman at the scene until she could be transported by ambulance to a hospital in Dickinson. From there, she was transferred to another hospital in Fargo.

“The incident is still under investigation and the exact details of what occurred are not known at this time,” Park officials said.

The incident in Theodore Roosevelt National Park came just two days before a bison charged and gored a 47-year-old Phoenix woman visiting Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

The woman was walking with another person through a field on the north shore of Lake Yellowstone when they ran into two bison. The visitors turned around and tried to walk away, but one of the massive beasts chased down and attacked the woman.

The victim suffered “significant” injuries to her chest and abdomen and had to be airlifted by helicopter to  Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

Park officials reminded visitors that bison are large, powerful and wild, and can turn quickly and easily outrun people, reaching speeds of up to 35mph.

Male bison, known as bulls — which grow to be 6 feet tall and weigh up to 2,000 pounds — can be aggressive during the rutting season that runs from mid-July through August, and visitors are urged to “use extra caution and give them additional space during this time.”

Park regulations require visitors stay at least 25 yards away from large animals — and if needed, turn around and go the other way to avoid interacting with a wild animal.