Carl McDaniel, a 65-year-old from Washington State, is recovering in Bozeman Health after a violent encounter with a bison in Yellowstone National Park on July 10. McDaniel was walking with his grandson near Bridge Bay Compound in the Wyoming section of the park when the incident occurred.
Video footage captured the bull bison becoming agitated and charging at McDaniel. The animal pursued him through the trees before hooking him with a horn and throwing him into the air. McDaniel sustained multiple fractures to his femur near his hip. He spoke about the attack from his hospital bed a week later.
"We saw the bison, and he was down. He wasn't showing aggression or anything like that," McDaniel said. "They move faster than you could ever imagine. It picked a target. That target happened to be me."
McDaniel recounted that he told his grandson to get to safety while he attempted to flee. "He just kept coming, and he was more aggressive, and as soon as he got off that tree he launched me in the air," he stated.
Despite his severe injuries, McDaniel expressed gratitude for surviving, noting the attack could have been worse. "Even though I was on the ground, he could've stomped me, he could've gored me, he could've done anything," he said.
The incident occurred during bison mating season, a period when male bison are known to have elevated testosterone levels, potentially contributing to increased aggression. Reports indicate the same bison had previously charged at other campers, including a group of teenage boys, shortly before the attack on McDaniel.
Park officials have stated that no management action will be taken against the bison, meaning the animal will not be euthanized. Yellowstone National Park adheres to a policy of minimal intervention in natural wildlife behavior, only intervening when human life is at stake or by directive from Congress. The park's website emphasizes that it is a wilderness area where animals live on their own terms.