David Murray

dmurray@greatfallstribune.com

An incredibly tough Montana bison is doing surprisingly well after he was struck by lightning and given up for dead two-and-a-half years ago.

Sparky the bison was born on the National Bison Range south of Moise, Mont., more than a decade ago. The young bull was transferred to Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa in 2006, where he joined a herd of approximately 80 bison there maintained within a 700-acre enclosure.

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Sparky likely would have remained relatively obscure had it not been for his misfortune during a summer electrical storm.

According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife press release, wildlife biologist Karen Viste-Sparkman was engaged in a regular health check of the Neal Smith bison herd in July 2013, when she noticed a bull standing apart from the herd, off by himself. Taking a closer look through her binoculars, Viste-Sparkman noticed the lone bull looked bloody.

“This wasn’t entirely surprising because bison bulls will often fight during the mating season and July tends to be a prime time for injuries,” the USFWS news release states. “Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Sparky had been burned over a large area. His hump was missing hair and there was a large lump on his hind leg, which must have been the exit wound, meaning Sparky was lying down at the time of the strike.”

Sparky was thin and lethargic after the lightning strike, and was not expected to live long.

“Since a lightning strike is something that could easily occur in wild bison anywhere, the refuge let nature take its course,” the news release states. “There are no natural predators in the bison area so injured bison are monitored regularly and euthanized if they’re unable to eat or walk. Sparky was standing when his injuries were discovered, which was a promising sign. Karen kept checking on Sparky and was able to watch his wounds slowly heal. With a limp, Sparky kept walking.”

More than 30 months later, Sparky is still alive and has made an amazing recovery. At 11 years old and about 1,600 pounds, he’s a bit thinner than the rest of the bison, but he still stands strong and has returned as a full participant within the Neal Smith bison herd.

“Before being struck, Sparky fathered three calves,” the USFWS news release states. “Genetic testing will tell us if he successfully reproduced after the strike, but we’re hoping that he does because he’s one tough bison.”

Sparky remains the only documented case of a bison struck by lightning at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.