A man was seriously injured after a bison bull charged at him and hurled him above its head in Wyoming. The incident occurred at Yellowstone National Park's Bridge Bay Campground near Yellowstone Lake on Friday.
Attack Caught on Camera
Professional photographer Mike MacLeod, a former Army photographer, filmed the attack. The footage shows the bison frolicking before its attention turns to a grandfather and his grandson walking along a nearby road. The pair stopped to take pictures, and the bison suddenly charged.
The boy managed to escape, but the grandfather was pursued by the 2,000-pound animal. The bison caught up and used its horns to lift the man like a ragdoll, flipping him about 8 feet in the air. He landed near the animal, which continued tossing its head in agitation.
Victim Identified
The victim has been named as Carl McDaniel, a community leader from Kendall, Washington. He worked as a commissioner covering water and parks and is known as a Good Samaritan who volunteers as Santa Claus in his hometown. He sustained serious injuries, including a broken hip.
MacLeod told Cowboy State Daily: 'I was afraid he was going to gore the guy on the ground.' He and others scared the bull away while others called 911 and supported the victim. MacLeod said McDaniel was 'in a lot of pain, particularly in his hips and the leg he landed on.'
Bison Behavior
Just before the attack, the bison had charged at other people, including a group of children taking pictures from a distance. MacLeod noted, 'You can tell he was agitated, pissed off and charging at anything and everything.' He added that the victim and his grandson were not to blame as they kept their distance.
Yellowstone Bison Facts
The Yellowstone bison herd is the only group in the US that has roamed freely since prehistoric times. The herd numbers about 5,300 animals. Bison were hunted to near extinction in the 1800s, but by 1902 only about two dozen remained in Yellowstone before Army protection. A male bull can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, and a female up to 1,000 pounds. Some Yellowstone bison can live to 20 years old.
