Seeing wild animals is incredible, but it’s even better when you interact.
A few years ago, Caroline Walker Evans was visiting the Olympic Game Park in Sequim, Washington, when she had an unexpected encounter with one of the biggest (and scariest!) animals there.
For those who are unaware, Olympic Game Park is an 84 -acre facility housing animals like lions, wolves, bears, and yaks. Visitors are encouraged to drive through the farm, where they can see the animals face-to-face and give them yummy treats.
As Caroline and her friend drove through the park, they got the surprise of their lives when they were surrounded by four giant buffaloes.
In an interview with ABC News, Caroline recalled: “They were kind of chasing us, but we couldn’t go any faster because there were cars in front of us.”
“Before we started filming, [the one] had been there for nearly two minutes.”
Buffalos are actually named American Bison, but most people use the terms interchangeably. These bad boys are the biggest land creatures in North America and can weigh up to a full ton. Despite their size, buffalo aren’t slow either. They’re able to run 40 miles per hour and can jump six feet high.
While Full Circle Bison Ranch describes the animals as “very intelligent, curious, territorial and playful, ” they also note that buffaloes use their horns aggressively. In fact, recently a 72-year-old was attacked by a bison in Yellowstone National Park, the second incident of this year. So, as you can imagine, Caroline was a bit scared.
Turns out this was a friendly buffalo, though. It took a liking to Caroline, smothering her in sweet kisses and stealing bits of bread.
“I guess it was a little hungry,” she said.
Luckily, Caroline managed to record the heartwarming interaction, so we can see it for ourselves.
During the 30-second video, you see massive animal licking her with its giant tongue. It nuzzles into her shoulder, happily stealing pieces of bread.
Throughout the entire thing, Caroline yells in joyful (and scared, I’m assuming) disbelief. Because of the cars ahead of them, the friends couldn’t get away. “But I kind of loved it at the same time,” she said.
Last month, we also featured another heartwarming story about another “scary” animal. In a similar situation, tourists at a drive-through zoo were stunned when a giant lion started to approach them. Little did they knew, they were in for an amazing surprise…
Click here to see what happened.
Since being uploaded to YouTube, Caroline’s video has been viewed 4 million times.
People love the buffalo’s friendliness— not to mention the woman’s ecstatic response:
“Aww! He’s gorgeous and just wants to be your friend… Lol and of course help you finish your lunch… What a unique experience!”
“I’d be in Heaven if that were me feeding that beautiful buffalo.”
“I love this video! You made my day adorable Caroline Walker Evans.”
“Buffalos are so majestic.”
Watch the adorable encounter below!
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