Man arrested after allegedly kicking bison at Yellowstone

Don’t pet the wildlife: Man arrested after allegedly kicking bison

Rangers advise people to stay 25 feet away from bison, other large animals
Tourists are often injured after getting too close to pose for a photo
People have died after leaving safe trails and approaching hot springs

Updated: Apr 30, 2024 / 10:20 AM CDT

In this photo provided by Grand Canyon National Park, an adult bison roams near a corral at the North Rim of the park in Arizona, on Aug. 30, 2021. Officials at the Grand Canyon have been working to remove hundreds of bison from the North Rim, using a mix of corralling and relocating the animals, and a pilot project this year to allow select skilled volunteers to shoot certain bison. (Lauren Cisneros/Grand Canyon National Park via AP)

(NewsNation) — An Idaho man was arrested on alcohol-related charges after allegedly kicking a bison at Yellowstone National Park.

According to the park, Chance Yoder, 40, approached a herd of bison and kicked one in the leg. Unsurprisingly, the bison was not thrilled about being kicked, and Yoder was mildly injured.

Rangers arrested Yoder on charges of being under the influence of alcohol to a degree that may endanger oneself, disorderly conduct as to create or maintain a hazardous condition, approaching wildlife and disturbing wildlife.

Yoder was traveling with another person who was driving the vehicle. McKenna Bass, 37, who has been charged with driving under the influence, failing to yield to emergency light activation and disturbing wildlife.

Rangers at Yellowstone advise people to stay at least 25 feet away from bison and other large animals and at least 100 feet away from bears and wolves. While the animals are not typically aggressive toward humans, that does not make them safe. Bison can be unpredictable, like any other wild animal, and can run three times as fast as humans.

Yoder’s injury is the first this year, but as the summer season begins, Yellowstone and other parks typically report injuries or deaths as a result of people approaching wildlife too closely or venturing off safely marked trails into dangerous areas of parks.

In 2023, a woman was gored after a bison charged at her though it’s not known how close she was to the animal. In 2022, a woman who got within 10 feet of a bison was also gored. In both cases, the women sustained severe injuries.

Tourists getting too close to animals or venturing onto dangerous ground near hot springs and geysers isn’t new, with incidents dating all the way back to the park’s founding in 1872. Injuries and deaths often occur when people seeking a great vacation photo venture too close to the scalding water or approach a wild animal.

The consequences aren’t just for the humans involved, either. In 2023, a man was fined for picking up a bison calf that had separated from its herd. The herd then rejected the calf, which had to be euthanized.

For National Parks visitors, the agency reminds summer visitors that wildlife is best enjoyed from a safe distance.