A fifth person has been gored by a bison this summer at Yellowstone National Park while posing for a picture.

Park officials say a 43-year-old woman from Mississippi received minor injuries Tuesday when she turned her back on a bison to get a photo with it near the Fairy Falls trailhead.

"The woman and her daughter were by the trailhead sign when they decided to take a picture with a bison that was approximately six yards away from them near the trail," a park release said. "When they turned their backs to the bison to take the picture, someone warned that they were too close. They heard the bison’s footsteps moving toward them and started to run, but the bison caught the mother on the right side, lifted her up and tossed her with its head. The woman’s father covered her with his body to protect her and the bison moved about 3 yards away. The family drove to the Old Faithful Clinic, where the woman was treated and released with minor injuries."

“The family said they read the warnings in both the park literature and the signage, but saw other people close to the bison, so they thought it would be OK,” said Colleen Rawlings, the Old Faithful district ranger. “People need to recognize that Yellowstone wildlife is wild, even though they seem docile. This woman was lucky that her injuries were not more severe.”

Earlier this month a 68-year-old woman from Georgia was gored while hiking on the Storm Point Trail; on June 23 an off-duty concessions employee was gored by a bison after dark in the Lower Geyser Basin area; on June 2 an Australian man was charged by a bison, which tossed him "into the air several times;" and in mid-May, a 16-year-old exchange student was gored by a bison when trying to pose next to it for a photograph.

Wildlife should not be approached, regardless of how tame or calm they appear. When an animal is near a trail, boardwalk, parking lot, or in a developed area, visitors must give it a wide berth and not approach it closer than the required minimum distances: 25 yards away from all large animals - bison, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, moose, and coyotes and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.

Bison can run three times faster than humans can sprint and are unpredictable and dangerous. Visitors are advised to give the animals enough space and alter their plans to avoid interacting with an animal in close proximity.