BOISE - Ginny Junk is back in her Boise home after being attacked by a bison earlier this week in Yellowstone National Park. The 72-year-old was on vacation and hiking with her family when she says she came around a bend in the trail and there the bison stood.
“Nobody expects to ever get that close to a bison,” said Junk.
Ginny stopped dead in her tracks. Her first instinct was to protect her husband and son.
“Most moms will tell you that, most parents, make sure they were safe,” said Junk.
Ginny’s husband and son were able to step off the trail and get to safety.
“I stepped across the fence, which was fairly easy to do at that point. My son also stepped across over here and my wife couldn't get across because it was a little bit higher,” said Ginny’s husband Bill Junk.
That’s when the bison started barreling straight toward her.
“I thought if I stood perfectly still, maybe he would just go past me. Well that wasn't a good idea,” said Ginny.
The bison ducked its head and swiped at Ginny’s leg, tearing her pants and cutting the back of her right leg open.
“It hurt like heck,” said Ginny.
Ginny’s son, Cliff, and her husband, Bill, were able to pull Ginny over the fence to safety.
“I was in his territory. I was in his space and he didn't want me there,” she said.
The family waited until the bison wandered away after a few minutes. Ginny made it down the trail with the help of her son and was taken to a Rexburg hospital with minor injuries.
“I was thankful that it wasn't any worse,” said Ginny.
The family now wants to remind people to be prepared for the unexpected anytime they’re hiking in the wilderness, even if it’s on a paved trail.
“You just have to be able to deal with them and adjust and handle the situation the best you can when they occur,” said Bill.