Everyone is talking about the bison roaming the streets of Camrose. They must have needed to work on their short game, as they took over the local golf course. Golfers were shocked (who wouldn’t be?) and one took video. There was fear slash laughter in his voice.
But these bison are not small. They weigh about 2000 pounds. They have the ability to run 48 kilometers an hour. That’s not funny.
Bison are the most dangerous in rutting or mating season
According to the book Nature on the Rampage, bison are like freight trains with hooves. “Its battering-ram skull is topped with horns specially designed to hook and gore its foes”. Park wardens say bison are at their most dangerous during rutting season (which runs through September…which is now).
Here’s some tips if you encounter a bison on the street (that sounds funny to say, and it’s even odder to think we might actually need them)
-If you see a bison with its head lowered, snorting and pawing the ground…start running.
-Running is a good idea, but they can outrun you so get a head start. Bison run three times faster than a human.
-If you can’t run…lie down. Bison have a hard time getting its head and horns down to gore you.
Having a bison walk down main street past city hall is way different than the docile animals you see on the side of the Yellowhead in Elk Island Park. Let’s just hope you don’t have to look one of these beasts in the eye and wonder if you should drop or run.