Man accused of kicking bison at Yellowstone National Park is injured by animal and then arrested on alcohol charge

A man who kicked a bison in the leg was injured by the bison in Yellowstone National Park, according to park officials, the first time a visitor has been injured by one of the park's iconic animals this year .

Park rangers arrested and jailed Clarence Yoder, 40, after he was treated for minor injuries, authorities said Monday.

Rangers received a call about the man allegedly harassing a herd of bison and kicking one of them about seven miles inside the park's west entrance on April 21. Officials did not disclose how the bison injured the man or whether it tried to gore him.

Rangers stopped Yoder in a car driven by another person in nearby West Yellowstone, Montana, Yellowstone officials said in a statement Monday.

Park officials did not describe Yoder's injuries from the bison. He was charged with being under the influence of alcohol, disorderly conduct and approaching and disturbing wildlife.

Her partner, McKenna Bass, 37, was charged with driving under the influence, failure to yield to a police car and disturbing wildlife.

The two men, from Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded not guilty at an April 22 court appearance.

Bison are the largest land mammal in North America, with bulls weighing up to 2,000 pounds. Despite their size, bison can sprint up to 40 mph. They routinely injure tourists who get too close.

Yellowstone officials urge people to stay at least 80 feet away from all park wildlife.

Some Yellowstone facilities began opening last week for the busy summer season, a process that will continue through June.

Park officials said it was the first reported incident of a visitor injured by bison in 2024. The last incident occurred on July 17, 2023 when a 47-year-old man the woman was cuckolded by one of the animals and suffered significant chest and abdominal injuries.

Three incidents were reported in 2022, including one where a woman got within 10 feet of a bison before the animal gored her and threw him 10 feet in the air The 25-year-old woman, from Grove City, Ohio, suffered a puncture wound and other injuries.

Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times.