See it: Herd of bison surround car on snowy road in Yellowstone National Park
Earlier this month, Yellowstone aficionado Cindy Shaffer came face to face with a herd of bison while driving along a snowy road in the park.
Herd of bison surround car in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park aficionado encounters a "bison jam" in the national park while driving earlier this month (Video Credit: Cindy Shaffer via Storyful).
Many drivers are accustomed to deer or even bear crossings, but Yellowstone National Park is one of the few places you can encounter bison crossing the road.
Earlier this month, Yellowstone aficionado Cindy Shaffer came face to face with a herd of bison while driving along a snowy road in the park.
"Oh my God, there’s hundreds of them. This is amazing," she can be heard saying in the now-viral video.
"Listen to their feet on the crispy snow," she exclaimed.
VIDEO: BISON CHARGES AT YELLOWSTONE TOURIST WHO TRIED TO TOUCH IT
Yellowstone works to protect wildlife as tourists flock to iconic national park
Tourists flocking to a beloved national park are starting the summer off by breaking the rules over wildlife interactions. Several stories of attempts to take selfies with bison, picking up a bison calf and moving it, and the latest, driving an elk calf to a police station, have gone viral, prompting Yellowstone to issue a statement asking the public to act responsibly. FOX Weather's Robert Ray is at the park with a look at what's to be done to protect both man and beast.
According to the National Park Service (NPS) in Yellowstone, bison have lived in the area since prehistoric times. Yellowstone boasts the largest bison population on public land.
Thousands are allowed to roam freely across the park, according to the NPS. That population has been restored from about two dozen bison in 1902 when poaching was rampant.
Shaffer had to stop her car for more than three minutes to allow the herd to pass, which is what the NPS says is the best practice when caught in a bison or any other kind of wildlife jam.
The NPS says people should never approach bison in a car or while walking. If people see bison while walking in Yellowstone, the NPS says the best tactic is to walk away from the bison and use bear spray if they get too close.
Shaffer summed up the experience as, "Pretty cool but a little scary."