YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Widely circulating footage depicts a bison tossing a 65-year-old man into the air at a Yellowstone National Park (YNP) campground.
According to YNP, the man was injured by the bison on the evening of July 10 at Bridge Bay Campground near Yellowstone Lake.
“Park emergency medical personnel responded and transported him to a nearby hospital,” YNP shared with Buckrail via email. “There are no further details to share.”
According to CNN, the man involved in the incident was Carl McDaniel, who broke his femur in four places and had to undergo surgery after the bison headbutted him. McDaniel told CNN he was visiting the park with his grandson; the pair had been out for a post-dinner walk when the bison encounter occurred.
“There was little time to decide what to do,” McDaniel told CNN. “At that point, he was within 100 yards; he could be to us in seconds, so I told my grandson to run in one direction and I went the other to try and draw him away. … 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.”
This is second major bison incident in the park this year. At the end of June, a 12-year-old boy was gored by a bison and sent to the hospital. YNP has previously shared that bison have injured more park visitors than any other animal. They can reach speeds of up to 35 mph, and they will defend their space if they feel threatened. Remember to stay at least 25 yards away from prey animals like bison, and at least 100 yards away from predator animals like bears and wolves.
