Human Interest 72-Year-Old Woman Gored by Bison at Yellowstone National Park After Trying to Take Its Photo The woman was given immediate medical attention by park rangers before being airlifted to an Idaho hospital By Joelle Goldstein Joelle Goldstein Twitter Joelle Goldstein is a TV Staff Editor for PEOPLE Digital. She has been with the brand for five years, beginning her time as a digital news writer, where she covered everything from entertainment news to crime stories and royal tours. Since then, she has worked as a writer-reporter on the Human Interest team and an associate editor on the TV team. In her current role, Joelle oversees all things TV and enjoys being able to say she has to watch The Kardashians, Dancing with the Stars and America's Got Talent for "work". Prior to joining PEOPLE, Joelle was employed at The Hollywood Reporter. She graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Television-Radio (and an appearance in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Final Four!) People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 30, 2020 12:53 PM Share Tweet Pin Email A bison in Yellowstone National Park. Photo: Will Powers/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty A 72-year-old woman has been hospitalized after she was gored by a bison at Yellowstone National Park while attempting to take its photo, park officials announced. The incident occurred Thursday at the woman's campsite at Bridge Bay Campground, according to a press release from the National Park Service. Yellowstone officials said the California woman came within 10 feet of the bison "multiple times to take its photo" before the wild animal gored her. She was given immediate medical attention by park rangers before getting airlifted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, the press release stated. Her condition is currently unknown. Park officials said the incident is under investigation, but urged visitors to be mindful about coming near the wild animals while on their grounds. Female Tourist Injured by Bison 2 Days After Yellowstone National Park Reopens amid Pandemic "The series of events that led to the goring suggest the bison was threatened by being repeatedly approached to within 10 feet," Yellowstone's senior bison biologist Chris Geremia said in a statement. "Bison are wild animals that respond to threats by displaying aggressive behaviors like pawing the ground, snorting, bobbing their head, bellowing, and raising their tail," Geremia continued. "If that doesn't make the threat (in this instance it was a person) move away, a threatened bison may charge. To be safe around bison, stay at least 25 yards away, move away if they approach, and run away or find cover if they charge." Officials also encouraged visitors to stay more than 25 yards away from elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose and coyotes, regardless of where they are in the national park. For bears and wolves, a distance of at least 100 yards should be maintained, they said. In the event that a tourist accidentally gets too close to an animal, officials recommended that they turn around and go the other way to avoid any interaction. RELATED VIDEO: Bison Injures Visitor at Yellowstone National Park This is far from the first time there has been a clash between humans and Yellowstone bison. In May 2018, a bison rammed into a 72-year-old woman, pushing her off the trail she was on. Three months later, a man was sentenced to 130 days in jail for taunting a bison at the park. Then in July 2019, a bison charged at a group of 50 visitors who were within 5-10 feet of the animal, flipping and injuring a 9-year-old girl in the process. Most recently in May, just two days after Yellowstone reopened amid the coronavirus pandemic, a woman was injured by a bison after she approached the animal too closely. The incident marked the first time that a bison had injured a visitor in 2020.