A 65-year-old grandfather was attacked and injured by a bull bison at Yellowstone National Park on Friday.
The man, identified as Carl McDaniel from Washington state, sustained a broken femur in four places after the animal flipped him into the air.
The incident occurred at the Bridge Bay campsite while McDaniel was walking with his 13-year-old grandson.
The bison, estimated to weigh around 2,000 pounds, charged from approximately 100 yards away.
Victim's Account
McDaniel underwent surgery on Sunday to reset his broken leg. He is currently receiving physical therapy and treatment for severe bruising at a hospital in Bozeman, Montana.
According to McDaniel, they had taken photos of the bison before it unexpectedly charged. He decided to split from his grandson to divert the animal's attention.
"There was little time to decide what to do," McDaniel said.
"I told my grandson to run in one direction and I went the other to try to draw him away."
The attack was captured on video by an onlooker and has since garnered over 1.1 million views on YouTube.
McDaniel expressed gratitude that the bison did not cause further harm after throwing him 8 feet into the air.
"When I was on the ground immobile, 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," McDaniel stated.
Other visitors intervened by shouting and clapping to scare the bison away until emergency personnel arrived.
Park paramedics initially transported McDaniel to a local hospital before transferring him to Bozeman via a two-hour ambulance ride.
"All the people that were there were amazing," McDaniel told CNN. "They were all positive – they were trying to help as best they could."
The photographer who filmed the incident, Mike MacLeod, noted that the bison appeared highly agitated prior to the confrontation.
He also confirmed that the victims maintained a respectful distance and did not provoke the animal.
The U. S.
National Park Service confirmed the emergency response but declined to provide additional details regarding whether the bison's behavior was linked to the ongoing mating season, which runs from June to September.
