Yellowstone National Park officials have decided what will happen to the bison that seriously injured a 65-year-old man.
The incident happened Friday, July 10, at Bridge Bay Campground, where Carl McDaniel was walking with his 13-year-old grandson when the bull bison suddenly charged. According to park officials, the animal will not face any consequences for the attack.
In a statement to TMZ, Yellowstone National Park confirmed that “no management action” would be taken against the wild bison, meaning it will not be euthanized.
The attack, which quickly spread across social media after photographer Mike MacLeod captured it on video, shows McDaniel and his grandson taking picures of the animal, before it suddenly charged at them.
The grandson managed to get away, but McDaniel was struck by one of the bison’s horns before being thrown about eight feet into the air.
Bison attack at Yellowstone
The grandfather suffered a broken femur in four places near his hip and underwent surgery on Sunday.
Speaking to CNN, McDaniel said the bison had not appeared dangerous when they first spotted it.
“We were about a hundred yards away,
“He was not aggressive; he was not having problems and we took some pictures and decided to walk on.”
As the animal suddenly charged, McDaniel said he made a quick decision to protect his grandson.
“There was little time to decide what to do. 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.”
What to do if a bison is following you
Despite the severity of his injuries, McDaniel was able to stand one day after surgery. He said he expects to undergo physical therapy for several days and added that “it was not as catastrophic as it could have been.”
MacLeod, who filmed the incident, said he stopped recording when he feared the attack was about to become even worse.
“I was really afraid he was going to gore the guy on the ground, so I stopped videotaping and ran at the bison, yelled loud, and was trying to be as big and intimidating as possible,” he told Cowboy State Daily, according to VT.
After the bison ran off, bystanders rushed to help McDaniel while emergency crews responded to the scene.
In a statement to CNN, the National Park Service said: “Park emergency medical personnel responded and transported him to a nearby hospital.”
Following the incident, park officials reminded visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from bison.
They also advised: “If the bison follows you, spray bear spray as you are moving away, and seek cover behind nearby trees or cars.”
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