Bison bull injures ranger in test enclosure in Welschenrohr, Solothurn
Keystone-SDA
A bison bull charged and injured a ranger in the enclosure at Welschenrohr in Solothurn on Monday afternoon. Rega airlifted the injured man to hospital.
The experienced ranger wanted to scare the bison bull away and approached the animal to within one or two metres, the Wisent im Thal association reported on Tuesday.
In doing so, the ranger fell short of the minimum distance stipulated in the code of conduct. The bull did not back away and felt cornered. While attempting to free itself from the situation, the bison bull knocked the ranger over.
The association stated in its press release that bison do not normally react aggressively towards humans. In this incident, it was not a deliberate attack, but rather a misjudgement on the part of the ranger and a subsequent defensive reaction by the cornered animal, it said.
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The fenced-off test site on the Sollmatt, covering around 100 hectares, belongs to the municipality of Solothurn and to the ranger involved in the accident himself. Despite the trial, agricultural and forestry activities are continuing, and the public can still access the site without restriction, it was stated.
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
