Bison gores 83-year-old woman at Yellowstone, lifts her a foot off the ground

A bison has gored an 83-year-old South Carolina woman at Yellowstone National Park, using its horns to lift her about a foot off the ground, according to park officials.

The woman was seriously injured in the Saturday incident and taken to a nearby hospital, the National Park Service said in a news release. They did not provide a status update on the woman but USA TODAY was working to reach the hospital on Monday.

An investigation is underway.

Bison was 'defending its space'

The bison was "defending its space" when it came within a few feet of the woman and gored her, the park service said.

Officials urge park visitors to remain more than 25 yards away from bison and to keep distance from wildlife that approaches them.

"Wild animals can be aggressive if people don't respect their space. When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot or in a developed area, give it space," the service said.

Bison injuries at Yellowstone

Despite not being aggressive animals, bison have injured more people than any other animal at Yellowstone, the service reported. If their space is threatened, they can be unpredictably dangerous.

Last July, a bison gored a 47-year-old woman from Phoenix during bison mating season, which runs from mid-July to mid-August. The extent of her injuries was not released.

In June 2022, a bull bison gored a 34-year-old man from Colorado, injuring his arm, after a similar incident occurred to a 25-year-old woman from Ohio a month prior. The woman suffered a puncture wound and other injuries when the bison gored her and threw her 10 feet in the air.