Bison Attacks Tourists at Yellowstone, on Tape

(CBS)  A trip to Yellowstone National Park turned into a nightmare for a group of tourists.

Cathy Hayes, a teacher from Utah, was catching a bison on video, joking with her husband, Jeff, and his brother, Donald, about getting a shot of Donald being gored by the animal -- when Donald got too close - and it attacked.

The bison, clearly agitated, charged Donald and then Cathy, sending her into a panic. She ran for cover behind a tree, but the bison kept coming.

The car horn honking is clearly audible as Jeff tries to deter the bison. So is his yells of "Back," and screams - with the video rolling all the while.

"I could hear him over me stomping and snorting," Cathy said later, "and I just knew. I knew at that second that was it. You know, I thought, "This is going to be my last moment. It's going to be in Yellowstone Park getting tromped by a buffalo." "

On The Early Show" Friday, Cathy told co-anchor Chris Wragge the bison "flipped me end-over-end like a rag doll, in the air."

It turned out she didn't suffer life-threatening injuries, but was pretty badly banged up. Her knee was the size of a football and she has big brusies ans scrapes on her leg. Donald broke his shoulder when he tripped and fell.

And the incident may not have been the bison's fault.

A second look at Cathy's video shows the animal was apparently provoked. It seems the bison was hit it in the back with a stick -- a vivid reminder of the park's policy to keep your distance from wildlife.

To see Wragge's complete interview of Cahty, Jeff and Donald, click on the video below:

[lytle]

Interesting story. I don't understand why people can't realize that they are dealing with wild animals and are likely to deal with them on their terms.

You have no business approaching an animal like a bison. It may resent you doing so for any number of reasons and may react like the animal did in this incident. STAY YOUR DISTANCE!

I recall driving through the Smokey Mountains and several cars ahead of us were pulled over. We stopped and saw a mother bear and two cubs approaching on the road. Several people in the cars got out and stood on the road while the bears passed close by. They were fortunate that the mother bear didn't view them as a threat to her cubs.

Get smart people!!

[riverrat59]

Did they get their 15 minutes of fame? Poor Bison, I hope they don't put the animal down for this attack "that was provoked". Hope they (man & women attacked) are telling the truth or they will have to live with it.

[riverrat59]

I saw the video and it looks like someone threw a white object at the Bison, now I ask you ? Is that fair to blame the Bison for attacking when it gets provoked? No way is it the Bisons fault. I would attack if someone threw something at me too. Remember,,, your in their country. It might of not came from the women who got attacked but she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sorry for her injuries but don't blame the Bison!!!!

[breckandy]

We should cut "it" up into steaks. But that dumb fat cow, her "tenderized" thigh and her fat friend are not on my fat free diet.

[coinageboy]

Bunch of rednecks getting hit?

Where can I send money for extra alfalfa for the bison?

[billyc555]

I was there a while back and one of the park rangers told me that this sort of thing happens all the time. It really is unbelievable how stupid these people are.

[astro1959]

3 Jackass's vs 1 Bison, Bison Wins :)

[kjfrancis]

jmnman4u is correct. The white stick that flies up and hits the bison in the back comes from the bison's own head/neck area. If you look at the video immediately before the stick flies in the air, you can see it comes from the movement upwards of the bison's head. Please look very closely at the video, including the one where the bison is crossing the parking lot. That white thing that can be seen on his head area is not the bison's horn, but rather the stick itself, somehow lodged lightly in his fur. This could have come from rolling in grass with sticks or scratching on tree branches (my horses routinely get small branches stuck in their manes in just these ways). Cathy was being completely honest and correct when she stated that none of the group threw a stick. It is sad to me that so many people posted mean-spirited comments.

[wyodutch]

Larry, Darrel and Darrel go to Yellowstone.

[1notrub11]

LOL

[Overruled1]

Let me guess, the bison escaped from the San Francisco Zoo....