The man who was attacked by a bison at Yellowstone National Park has a theory as to why it happened.
Mike MacLeod, the professional photographer who captured the moment a bison tossed Carl Isom-McDaniel eight feet into the air in a video that has since gone viral, shared an update on McDaniel’s condition with CNN.
McDaniel, 65, suffered several broken bones as a result of the incident, including breaking his femur in four places. Speaking to Erin Burnett about McDaniel’s condition, MacLeod said that he was doing well following surgery and some minor complications, adding that doctors have outlined a clear path forward for McDaniel to be able to leave the hospital.
The Montana-based photographer also shared McDaniel’s theory as to why the bison attacked him.
“What he heard was the white pickup honking its horn and then squealing its tires,” MacLeod explained, referring to the vehicle that can be seen in the video. “What he wondered is if that, when the tires squealed, if it didn’t kick up dust to look like another angry bison and trigger a response.”
MacLeod also revealed that McDaniel lured the bison away from his 13-year-old grandson.
“He yelled at his grandson to get in the ditch, and go right back up to the arboretum and hide,” MacLeod told Burnett. “Then, Carl lured the bison in the exact opposite direction.”
MacLeod shared that Carl and his grandson had seen the bison earlier, while they were eating dinner at their campsite, but that it passed by without incident.
MacLeod had previously spoken to Burnett on Monday night where he shared his perspective of the attack.
“Once he hit the grandfather, and the grandfather was lying motionless on the ground, he was looking for some other threat, and what I was worried about is that he wasn’t going to find any other threat there, so he was going to go back to the victim and really do him in,” he told Burnett.
“It’s the beginning of mating season, so all the males want to fight anything.”
Bison mating season lasts from June to September, with the most intense period being July to August. According to the National Park Service, during mating season, males will roll violently on the ground to display aggression, because it is one of the ways they court females.
MacLeod said that immediately following the attack, he tried to get the bison’s attention.
“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 explained. Other tourists joined in, helping MacLeod scare the bison away so they could help McDaniel.
He told Cowboy State Daily that McDaniel’s grandson had contacted him in order to see the footage of the attack and ensure he wasn’t at fault.
“He was really worried and wanted to see the video to make sure that it wasn’t his fault,” MacLeod said. “You can tell in the video it’s not his fault. You can tell from the very beginning.”
The attack took place at the Bridge Bay Campground, south of Fishing Bridge, in Yellowstone, at around 8.30 p.m. on Friday night. Park officials confirmed on Wednesday that no action will be taken against the bison in response to the attack.
