Amber Harris, Phoenix, Arizona woman left with seven spinal fractures after being charged by Yellowstone bison in ‘unprovoked attack’ during outdoors trip with partner, Chris Whitehill.
A Phoenix, Arizona woman has been left with seven spinal fractures following a ‘run in’ with a bison at Yellowstone National Park while traveling with her partner. The attack according to the couple occurred without warning.
Amber Harris, 47, was visiting Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming Monday from Phoenix when she was set upon in a ‘completely unprovoked attack.’ She sustained ‘significant injuries to her chest and abdomen,’ including spinal fractures and two collapsed lungs.
Harris who had travelled with her boyfriend, Chris Whitehill (who has since become her fiancee after proposing bedside) had set out on their first day adventure outing when calamity struck.
Unprovoked attack without warning
Explained Amber Harris in a Facebook post: ‘We woke up our first morning and walked down to the lodge for some coffee then decided take a walk through a field to get to Yellowstone Lake.
‘There were a few other people and about 20 elk roaming around so we waited for them to clear before walking through the field. About halfway to the water we noticed 2 bison. 1 on the path we were walking and the other in the opposite direction.
‘We stopped and looked at the massive beast, about 50 yards away on the trail, hidden at first in the shadows of the tress. We watched him drop and roll in the dirt, like a dog would. He got up on his feet and started walking then running towards us.
‘I was carried out of the field on a stretcher to an ambulance and then transferred to a helicopter for a life flight to Idaho. Pain meds, CT, MRI and I sustained seven spine fractures, bilateral collapsed lungs and bruising all over. Glory to God all my vital organs look good.’
The bison attack was the second in days at National Parks, as earlier a woman was gored by a bison at a North Dakota park on Saturday. The victim, who had not been publicly named suffered injuries to her abdomen and foot.
Guide for protecting oneself against bison attack
Park officials reminded visitors that bison are large, powerful and wild, and can turn quickly and easily outrun people.
Bulls can be aggressive during the rutting season from mid-July through August. Park regulations require visitors stay at least 25 yards away from large animals.
The National Park Service offers a complete guide for protecting yourself from animals when visiting.
Monday’s attack was the first known bison attack on a person in Yellowstone in more than a year. Bison injured two people in the park in 2022.
In May 2023, Yellowstone tourists were filmed edging away from a dangerous encounter with bison after trying to pet them.
When a Bison bobs its head, paws, bellows, or snorts, it may be warning that an individual is too close and that a charge is imminent.
