Bison gores girl in Yellowstone National Park

The 16-year-old girl from Taiwan suffered serious - but not life-threatening - injuries. Last week, Yellowstone tourists were chased by a mother black bear. 

A 16-year-old girl has been gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park while posing for a picture near the animal.

The National Park Service says the unidentified girl's injuries were serious but not life-threatening.

The agency described her as an exchange student from Taiwan who was visiting the park with her host family.

The incident occurred shortly after noon Friday in the Old Faithful area.

The Park Service says she and others were between 3 and 6 feet from the bison when she turned her back to the bison to have her picture taken. The bison took a couple steps and gored her.

The girl was airlifted to an area hospital.

The Park Service advises visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from bison in the park.

Last week, tourists were captured on video fleeing as a mother black bear protected her cubs in Yellowston.

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks spokesman Bob Gibson witnessed the encounter and said some visitors ignored or were slow to heed a park official’s commands to leave the bridge, reported KRON-TV. As the nervous-seeming cubs scattered, the mother bear raced to round them up, frightening the tourists.

“The bear was the only one doing anything right there,” Gibson said. “The bear was definitely not charging at people. The bear was trying to get across the bridge, and people were in the way.