Carl McDaniel, a 65-year-old grandfather from Washington state, was flipped 8ft in the air by a bull bison at Yellowstone National Park. The attack broke his femur in four places, but McDaniel believes the animal spared his life by choosing not to gore him.
Details of the Incident
The encounter occurred on Friday at the Bridge Bay campsite in Wyoming. McDaniel and his 13-year-old grandson were on an after-dinner walk when they spotted the bison about 100 yards away. “He was not having problems, and we took some pictures and decided to walk on,” McDaniel told CNN.
Suddenly, the bison charged. McDaniel told his grandson to run in one direction while he went the other to draw the animal away. The bison, estimated at 2,000lb (900kg), chased down McDaniel and tossed him into the air with its horned head. The incident was captured on video by photographer Mike MacLeod and has been viewed over 1.1 million times on YouTube.
Aftermath and Recovery
McDaniel suffered a broken femur in four places and severe bruising. He underwent surgery on Sunday and was able to stand on Monday. “I will be doing physical therapy for the next few days to get to walk, but it was not as catastrophic as it could have been,” he said.
McDaniel praised the campers who scared the bison away and provided first aid. “All the people that were there were amazing,” he said. Emergency personnel transported him to a local hospital, then to a facility in Bozeman, Montana, for specialized care.
Bison Behavior and Safety
Bison rutting season runs from June to September, and the National Park Service (NPS) did not confirm if the animal was aggressive due to mating season. The NPS statement said, “There are no further details to share.”
McDaniel and his grandson visit Yellowstone every summer. He serves on community boards in Kendall, Washington, according to the Cascadia Daily News. Despite the attack, McDaniel remains grateful: “When I was on the ground immobile, unable to move, he was right on top of me. He could have stomped on me; he could have gored me; he could have done almost anything to take my life – and he did not do so.”
