A 65-year-old grandfather from Washington state remains hospitalized after a massive bull bison launched him 8 feet into the air at Yellowstone National Park, an attack captured on video that has since circulated to millions of viewers online.
Carl McDaniel was at Bridge Bay Campground near Lake Yellowstone on Friday evening with his grandson when the estimated 2,000-pound animal charged without warning. The bison, described by witnesses as agitated and aggressive, struck McDaniel with enough force to leave him with severe injuries including multiple broken bones.
A photographer named Mike MacLeod, who filmed the encounter, was adamant that McDaniel and his grandson had done nothing to provoke the attack. MacLeod, a former combat photographer with a degree in wildlife biology, told the New York Times that both visitors were maintaining "a respectful distance" from the animal before it charged.
"Most people see that these two did not ask for it," MacLeod said. He added that as he was leaving the park later that day, he observed "half a dozen far more dangerous instances where people were way closer and being aggressive" toward wildlife.
The National Park Service requires visitors to maintain at least 25 yards from bison and other large animals. Despite being struck and in considerable pain, McDaniel remained conscious and in good spirits immediately after the incident, making jokes to those around him, according to MacLeod.
MacLeod rushed to assist McDaniel after the bison knocked him down. He described watching as the animal stood over McDaniel, pumping its head aggressively. "It went from a little bit of amusing to watch to critical emergency," MacLeod recalled. Other campers at the site eventually chased the bison away.
Park emergency personnel transported McDaniel to a nearby hospital, where he underwent surgery by Monday. His grandson escaped without injury. The National Park Service declined to provide additional details about the incident, including whether the attack was related to bison rutting season, which runs from June through September.
McDaniel is a well-known community figure in Kendall, Washington, serving on several local boards, including a community alliance focused on rural communications and the Columbia Valley water and parks districts. The incident marks a rare but serious reminder of the unpredictability of wildlife in national parks, even when visitors follow posted safety guidelines.
Author James Rodriguez: "A man does everything right and still gets tossed like a toy by a charging bison, all because he was in the wrong place at the wrong moment with an agitated animal."
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