Texas Woman Gored By Bison Lives To Share Video On TikTok

Wild animals are majestic to look at from afar- but one shouldn’t really get close to them. Since they are inherently wild, one wouldn’t be able to gauge their reactions before they find themselves in a situation that could quickly become fatal. Recently, a hiker took to TikTok where she warned people about the dangers of roaming inside a bison-filled area. She stated that one would have to keep their recklessness aside and not venture inside the personal space of a bison for they could easily be gored by the giant animal.

The realization of the possibility of death came to her after she was attacked by one such creature the previous week when she was hiking along the Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway. For those wondering, Trailpark is indeed the home of the Texas State Bison Herd. The TikToker, Rebecca Clark, went on to post a few videos that chronicled her moments up to the point where she was gored by the bison. [1]

TikToker Gets Gored By Bison While Hiking

In the beginning, one can hear Rebecca as she tries to navigate amongst the bisons. “There you go, keep going. I don’t want to deal with them. I just want to go by, come on keep going…I didn’t want to go through the bushes again.” While it does seem like Clark would be able to make a clean break, all hell breaks loose. A bison, infuriated with the presence of a human, turns towards her and charges.

One can now hear the shrill in Clark’s voice as she screams, “Oh s***! Oh oh oh my God! Oh my God, Oh God!” For her caption, Rebecca wrote, “I was charged and gored by a bison because I was too CLOSE to be passing them on a trailway….I am posting to support safety while enjoying Texas State Parks.” The clip that she posted went viral quite soon as it has garnered around 2 million views already. 

@rebeccaclark

Solo hiking at Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway in Texas. I was charged and gored by a bison because I was to CLOSE to be passing them on a trailway They are beautiful creatures protected by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and are a part of the Texas State Bison Restoration Project where the park has restored the historic Charles Goodnight Bison herd (The Official Texas State Bison Herd) to a portion of its former range in the park. I am posting to support safety while enjoying Texas State Parks #TPWD #bisonetiquette101 #hikingsafety #llbean #chaos #rei

♬ dumb dumb – sped up – mazie

In another video, Rebecca stated that the bison had rammed into her- sending her into a mesquite bush where she lay prone for 50 minutes. Since she didn’t have proper phone service, she couldn’t contact 911, but rather send repeated messages to her friends and family. Soon, help arrived which flew her to the United Regional Healthcare Hospital in Wichita Falls. As it turns out, the hiker has a hole in her back from the horns, along with several thorn pinpricks after she lay in a bush. Nevertheless, doctors expect her to make a full recovery. She has set up a Creator Fund which would help her pay for the medical bills. 

Read: ‘Depressed’ circus bear attacks trainer in front of terrified audience

How To Prevent A Bison Attack?

Texas Parks and Wildlife have been pretty clear about the rules you have to follow if you see a bison herd. They are North America’s biggest land animal. It goes without saying that they require a lot of space to survive. About 50 yards to be precise. After that, they come across a human. The Rule of Thumb in this particular situation is, “Stretch your arm out away from your face and give bison a thumbs up. Now close one eye. Can you cover the bison with your thumb? If not, you’re too close!”[2]

One can understand that nature lovers would be elated to see a bison in their way. They truly are majestic. But one needs to also remember that these are wild animals, with horns that can shred a human apart. In places like Yellowstone National Park, bison are abundant- so one can expect frequent encounters between humans and these beasts.

The park security has been doing everything possible to educate the tourists about the dangers of coming too close to a bison. However, most still choose to ignore it. As a result, we get reports of bison attacks almost daily. Ironically, the easiest way to prevent a bison from attacking would be to not be in its personal space. Stay away from the animal, and one wouldn’t have to fear it. 

Nevertheless, one can’t truly believe that disaster wouldn’t fall upon them just because they are taking all the steps. One can stay away from a bison only for it to get agitated. And this is when a few extra measures come in handy. If one can clearly see the bison stop and look up at them, that is when you back away slowly.

One should always remember to not show their back, and not move suddenly. And if a bison is walking towards them on a trail, one should retreat the way they came from. The cardinal rule would be to keep one’s distance at all times.[3]

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