A 65-year-old man from Washington state is recovering from multiple broken bones after a violent encounter with a bull bison at Yellowstone National Park on Friday. Carl McDaniel was visiting the park with his grandson when the animal charged and tossed him into the air, leaving him with serious injuries from the impact.
The incident was captured on video by Mike MacLeod, a professional photographer who was at the scene. MacLeod described the bull as highly aggressive, noting it was "agitated, pissed off and charging anything and everything." The animal, weighing around 2,000 pounds, proved far more dangerous than McDaniel apparently anticipated.
The bison launched McDaniel several feet into the air during the encounter, a violent moment that could have ended far worse. That McDaniel survived at all underscores both the unpredictable nature of wildlife and the risks visitors take when they venture too close to park animals. Yellowstone's bison population, while iconic, poses a genuine threat when agitated or provoked.
The incident serves as a stark reminder that the park's largest land mammal commands respect and distance. Wildlife officials have long warned visitors to maintain safe distances from bison and other dangerous animals, yet close encounters continue to happen.
Author James Rodriguez: "A man tossed eight feet in the air and walking away with broken bones instead of his life is one lucky outcome from what should never have happened in the first place."
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