BISON STEW

Tourists Horrified as Bison Falls Into Yellowstone Hot Spring Right in Front of Them

He did not survive.

Tourists on the trip of a lifetime to Yellowstone National Park were left horrified after a bison stumbled into one of the park’s scorching hot springs. The animal—one of between 3,500 and 6,000 that inhabit the volcanic area of natural beauty—was seen thrashing around at the edge of the Grand Prismatic Spring before succumbing to the heat. Eyewitness Louise Howard, who was on her first ever visit to Yellowstone, described seeing a pair of bison at the edge of the hot spring and raising her camera, thinking it would make a great photo. Instead, she captured the animal’s horrific final moments as it plunged into the water. Dr. Michael Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, said the animal’s suffering would have been over “fairly quickly,” noting that the hot spring can reach temperatures of 192 degrees. According to Poland, it’s not uncommon for wildlife to fall into the park’s many hot springs, including the famous Old Faithful geyser. Bison will often walk close to the water’s edge, but their massive weight can cause the fragile ground to crack—leading to tragic ends and stunned tourists.