A Washington man is recovering from surgery after being tossed in the air like a rag doll by a bison in Yellowstone National Park.
The incident was caught on video, but it may be disturbing to some.
The attack happened Friday night at Bridge Bay Campground near Yellowstone Lake in Wyoming, The New York Times reported.
A bull that was said to have been visibly agitated was roaming in the campground and had charged other visitors, Mike MacLeod said. MacLeod is the man who recorded the video.
He said that people were keeping their distance from the massive animal, but it had charged at a group of teens who ran. It then stopped, walled in dirt near a road and a picnic table.
“When he got up, it was kicking like a rodeo horse who’s clearly very agitated,” MacLeod told the Times.
MacLeod, who has a degree in wildlife biology, said the bison may have experienced a surge in testosterone, as it is the start of mating season.
A pickup drove up, holding a man and his grandson, who stopped to take photos of the bison.
“The bison stopped rolling in the dust and kind of sat up. He’s looking in the direction of those two,” he said. “And as soon as they stop taking pictures, the bison stands up and the grandfather’s like, ‘Let’s get out of here. I don’t like this,’” MacLeod told the Times.
Another truck drove up, with the bison appearing to target the second truck. When it left, the bison chased the grandfather and grandson. The grandson was able to run away, but the grandfather was hit by the bison and, using its left horn, grabbed the man by his hip and threw him in the air, the newspaper reported.
“I knew he was in danger because the bison didn’t leave,” MacLeod said. “He stood right over Carl, and he was really, really angry. His head’s pumping up and down and he displayed all that aggressive behavior.”
He ran over to try to distract the bison and was joined by others, and the animal eventually ran away.
Several campers came to Carl McDaniel’s aid until an ambulance arrived.
The National Park Service released a statement to NBC News, which read, “A 65-year-old man was injured by a bison on the evening of July 10 at Bridge Bay Campground near Lake Yellowstone in Yellowstone National Park. Park emergency medical personnel responded and transported him to a nearby hospital. There are no further details to share.”
About 300 million visit national parks every year, and about 350 people die every year, or about people a week, according to Park Service data, the Post reported.
As for McDaniel and his grandson, the boy was shaken but OK, MacLeod told ABC News.
The photographer has been in touch with McDaniel’s family, who said he had to undergo surgery but should recover.
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