Woman injured by buffalo

By: 
Jason Ferguson

A woman was hospitalized following an encounter with a buffalo near Wildlife Loop Road last Thursday morning.
At 11:21 a.m. a call came to Custer County Dispatch reporting a 19-year-old Colorado woman had been hit by a buffalo, had an injured leg and could not walk.
Custer State Park reported on its page that while hiking with a companion, and a dog the group came over a hill on a ungroomed trail and surprised a small herd of bull bison. One of the bulls charged the dog and hit the female visitor.
The call log from Custer County Dispatch shows the person who called said the woman was thrown into the air by the bull. She was bleeding from puncture wounds on the back of her leg.
Life Flight was initially requested for the woman, but that request was cancelled and the woman was taken to the hospital via Custer Ambulance Service. Custer County Search and Rescue and Custer State Park conservation officers also responded to the call.
“It is always important to remember that bison, and all the animals in the park, are unpredictable,” said Lydia Austin, Custer State Park’s visitor services manager, on the park’s Facebook page. “When possible, stay at least 100 yards away from bison and always be extra aware when approaching blind corners.”
While incidents between bison and visitors are not common in the park, they do happen, the park wrote on its page. Custer State Park is home to one of the largest publicly owned bison herds in the world and hosts millions of visitors every year.
“We hope this serves as a good reminder to always be aware of your surroundings, and give animals their space when possible,” Austin said.

 

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