Yellowstone bison won’t be euthanized after viral attack: Report

Elderly tourist required surgery after being launched eight feet into air at U.S. national park

Published Jul 15, 2026  •  1 minute read

Carl McDaniel, 65, tossed in the air by bison at Yellowstone National Park. X

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The Yellowstone National Park bison that seriously injured an elderly tourist in a viral attack last week will not be euthanized.

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The bison will remain in the park despite the shocking incident, Yellowstone officials confirmed, according to TMZ.

“No management action” will be taken against the wild animal, the park’s officials said, per the outlet.

That decision came after the bison charged Carl Isom-McDaniel and tossed the tourist eight feet into the air, leaving the grandfather with multiple broken bones that required surgery, according to reports.

“We were about a hundred yards away,” McDaniel recounted in an interview with CNN. “He was not aggressive; he was not having problems and we took some pictures and decided to walk on.”

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Grandfather recovering from his injuries

The video was captured by wildlife photographer Mike MacLeod and it quickly went viral across social media platforms.

“Once I saw the victim in the air, I stopped filming and ran with some other men to haze the bison away and to render aid,” MacLeod told Fox News, adding that neither McDaniel nor his 13-year-old grandson appeared to provoke the animal.

“For some reason (the bison) had it in his head he was going to attack those two,” MacLeod said.

McDaniel has since undergone surgery and is recovering from his injuries.

The grandson was not physically harmed in the incident.

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Bison are ‘wild and unpredictable’

Meanwhile, Yellowstone National Park advised that visitors should stay at least 22 metres away from bison, which can weight up to 2,000 pounds and run as fast as 48 km/h.

Bull bison can become particularly aggressive during the annual mating season.

“Bison are wild and unpredictable, no matter how docile they may appear to be,” Yellowstone posted on X.

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