SerpApi.Org
After surviving a viral, bone-breaking attack at Yellowstone National Park, the grandfather who was launched eight feet into the air by a rampaging bison has shared his experience, noting he was simply unfortunate to become the massive beast's “target.”
“We saw the bison, and he was down, he wasn’t showing aggression or anything like that,” he said in the video posted on Bozeman Health in Montana, where he received surgery for his broken femur.
After dinner, while taking a stroll through Wyoming's Bridge Bay Campground on July 10, 65-year-old Carl Isom-McDaniel and his 13-year-old grandson paused to photograph a massive wild animal. Recalling the incident from his hospital bed, Isom-McDaniel explained that they had spotted the bison lying down, showing no signs of aggression.
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“Until it picked a target — that target happened to be me,” the grandfather went on. “They move faster than you could ever imagine,” he said.
“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 continued to explain.
Isom-McDaniel focused first on ensuring his grandson was safely out of harm's way. He then attempted to escape the animal, which can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, by weaving through the trees.
Even though the pair were standing well beyond Yellowstone's 25-yard safety zone, the park is now entering “bison rutting season,’ when bulls can turn extremely aggressive, protective, and dangerously erratic, The Guardian reported.
“I didn’t get bruises from him launching me in the air — it was the landing that became the problem,” he said, explaining that he broke his femur in four places.
He expressed deep gratitude that his injuries weren’t more serious. “Even though I was on the ground, he could’ve stomped me, he could’ve gored me, he could’ve done anything,” he said.
According to onlooker and former Army combat photographer Mike MacLeod, the bull was already in an agitated state before the grandfather approached. The animal had previously charged at a group of youngsters, who fortunately managed to escape without injury.
MacLeod, afraid the tourist might be killed, abandoned his camera and rushed toward the bison while shouting and waving his arms. After other campers reportedly joined the effort, the bull ultimately retreated and fled.
“He was in a lot of pain, but was conscious and joking the whole time,” the photographer told Cowboy State Daily.
Visitors to Yellowstone National Park are strongly advised to maintain a safety distance of at least 75 feet from large wildlife, including bison. Meanwhile, authorities at the park have verified that no actions have been taken against the bull bison involved in the widely shared incident.
