Yellowstone bison stampede is like a scene from ‘old westerns’
On Wednesday we featured video footage showing dozens of bison stampeding across a bridge in Yellowstone National Park.
They included newly born calves, or “red dogs,” and the woman who captured the footage last Sunday said the bridge shook as the bison approached her vehicle.
But also worth noting, in the same footage captured by Vanessa Lynn-Byerly, is the remarkable agility bison possess despite their hulking appearance (male bison can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds).
The first 15 seconds show the bison charging down a steep hillside and kicking up dust in a scene Lynn Byerly said was reminiscent of “those old westerns” her parents like to watch.
Two more bison are shown running downhill at 35 seconds.
Yellowstone National Park is home to about 5,000 bison and each year a handful of tourists are injured, mostly after approaching the animals and failing to show them proper respect.
The Department of the Interior notes on its website: “Bison may be big, but they’re also fast. They can run up to 35 miles per hour. Plus, they’re extremely agile. Bison can spin around, jump high fences and are strong swimmers.”
It was not clear what started the stampede witnessed by Lynn-Byerly.