A 30-year-old man was taken by medical helicopter from Antelope Island State Park on Saturday after he was trampled by a bison, and officials say he should be OK.
The animal struck the man just after 4 p.m. as he was trail running on the Frary Peak trail in the park, said Lt. Eric Stucki with Utah State Parks. The man has two lacerations but no broken bones, Stucki said.
The park’s free-roaming bison commonly strike ranchers and others working with them on the peninsula, which is bordered by the Great Salt Lake, but Stucki said they don’t often hit visitors, although they do chase them.
Stucki said the man was trail running and most likely startled the bison, causing it to attack.
“With wild animals, it could be a number of things. You never know what’s going to stir them,” he said.
Stucki said if a person encounters any kind of animal in the park — or anywhere else — it is best to give the animal space.
“You need to back away,” he said. “Give [the animal] as much space as possible. Give them that room they need until they move away.”
In addition to bison, the park is home to bighorn sheep, mule deer and pronghorn, according to its website.
