Recently, a bison tragically met its end in a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park.
Park officials reported that the bison encountered its unfortunate fate while wandering in the Midway Geyser Basin, close to the famous Old Faithful geyser.
“There were two bisons together,” said Louise Howard, who witnessed this shocking event during her first visit to Yellowstone. “I thought it was a great photo opportunity,” she added to CBS News.
However, the moment quickly shifted from a picturesque scene to a somber situation as one of the bisons ventured into a hazardous area of the basin and tried to escape.
Before long, the bison began to stagger at the edge of the Grand Prismatic Spring—the park’s largest hot spring—before falling in.
Howard, who managed to capture photos of the bison’s final moments, remarked, “I tried so hard, but I couldn’t get out.”
Fortunately, the bison’s suffering was brief.
As the animal struggled, it inadvertently moved into hotter areas of the spring, which may have hastened its demise.
According to expert Poland, the danger comes primarily from the extreme temperature rather than the acidity of the water.
The Grand Prismatic reaches about 192 degrees, while water in other areas of Yellowstone can be approximately 200 degrees due to its elevation.
“Basically, this bison corpse is resting in almost boiling water… that water will break down organic materials, tissues, and eventually bones,” Poland explained.
It’s not unusual for wildlife in Yellowstone to perish in the park’s hot springs.
In fact, another lower geyser nearby has reached temperatures close to 197 degrees and is often referred to as the “skeleton pool” due to the remains of various animals found in the vicinity.
Bison often traverse near the edges of these hot springs, but their weight can cause the fragile crust surrounding the pools to crack.
This tragic incident comes during the peak tourist season at Yellowstone, a location that has historically been a popular destination for visitors.
Additionally, two tourists have been charged by bison in separate incidents in recent months within the same area. Both encounters occurred when individuals got too close to these seemingly docile yet potentially dangerous animals, but fortunately, they only suffered minor injuries.
