Bison crashes at Wind Cave on the rise

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) – Rangers in Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota have noticed an increase in the number of bison-vehicle crashes.

Six such crashes have occurred this year. Half resulted in fatal injuries to the bison. Park officials say there were no bison crashes last year – and in 2017 two were hit but did not die.

Park spokesman Tom Farrell says the latest crash happened late Saturday night when a local woman driving a car on Highway 385 struck and killed a bison.

Farrell says he’s not sure what’s behind the increase this year, but says drivers need to watch their speeds and look out for the animals, especially at night when they’re hard to see. Bison can often weigh as much as a ton.

AP-WF-07-31-19