A bull bison weighing about 900 kilograms (2,000 pounds) charged and tossed Carl McDaniel, age 65, approximately 8 feet (2.4 meters) into the air at Yellowstone National Park's Bridge Bay Campground in Wyoming on the evening of July 10, 2026 around 8:30 p.m. McDaniel was walking with his 13-year-old grandson at the time of the attack [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The bison was unusually aggressive and agitated, charging several groups including children and even a passing pickup truck before targeting McDaniel. The man and his grandson had stopped to take photos and were about 100 yards (91 meters) from the bison when it charged them [1, 2, 4, 5]. McDaniel said, "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 [to] draw him away" [3].
The attack caused McDaniel to break his femur in four places, along with multiple other broken bones and severe bruising. He required surgery and was transferred from Yellowstone to a hospital in Bozeman, Montana for treatment [2, 3, 4]. His grandson escaped unharmed by running away during the attack [1, 2, 3, 4].
Photographer Mike MacLeod, who witnessed the scene, said, "The bison hooked him with his left horn on his hip and tossed him in the air. He made a perfect flip and landed on his side." MacLeod shared video footage and expressed surprise at the level of aggression, noting, "It’s changed my idea of what to expect from these guys at this time of year, because I would not have predicted that happening." [1, 5]
Park officials attribute the bison's behavior to the start of Yellowstone's annual bison rutting season, which runs from June to September and causes increased aggression among bulls [2, 4]. Visitors are required to keep a distance of at least 23 meters (25 yards) from bison, a guideline the man and his grandson had followed before the sudden charge [5].
Other campers and the photographer shouted and clapped to scare the bison off, allowing emergency responders to provide first aid and assist McDaniel [1, 3, 4, 5]. McDaniel gave a first interview describing the attack and recovery on July 11, and MacLeod released detailed video footage on July 12 [1, 2, 3, 5].
