AVALON, Calif. -- Authorities say a buffalo has gored a man camping on Southern California's Catalina Island. Los Angeles County sheriff's officials say the man was sitting on a log Saturday evening and the buffalo was grazing nearby.

Sgt. Ray Ward says that when the buffalo came closer, the man tried to move away and that's when the animal charged.

Ward says the buffalo gored the man's left arm. He didn't know the extent of the injuries.

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The Orange County Register reports that the man was treated at the scene and then airlifted to the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Buffalo are common and roam freely on the back side of Catalina Island, where there are campgrounds. Ward says it's very rare for them to attack humans.

"People even forget sometimes that they are wild because they appear domesticated," Ward told The Orange County Register.