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A bison at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa earned the name Sparky after surviving a lightning strike in 2013. We at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service don’t commonly name wildlife, but this bison had an explosive story.
At two years of age, in 2006, Sparky joined the herd at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge after being transferred from the National Bison Range in Montana. Most of his life was ordinary, until one evening in July 2013. During a survey, Wildlife Biologist Karen Viste-Sparkman noticed a bull standing by himself. She took a closer look through her binoculars and noticed that the bison looked bloody. While this wasn't entirely surprising given that bison bulls will often fight during the mating season, and July tends to be a prime time for injuries, she could tell that something else had happened. 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. It became clear that this bison had been struck by lightning and the hind leg injury must have been the exit wound, meaning he was lying down at the time of the strike. After the strike, Sparky earned his nickname and is the only bison known to be struck at the refuge - although it does occasionally happen across the country.
Sparky was thin after the strike and wasn't 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 without intervening. There are no natural predators in the bison area of the refuge, so injured bison are monitored regularly and euthanized if they're unable to eat or walk. Given that Sparky was standing when his injuries were discovered, it was a promising sign. That summer refuge staff kept checking on Sparky and were able to watch his wounds slowly heal. With a limp, Sparky kept walking.
For years after the lightning strike, Sparky received international attention. Although he was badly scarred for the rest of his life, he remained part of the social structure structure
Something temporarily or permanently constructed, built, or placed; and constructed of natural or manufactured parts including, but not limited to, a building, shed, cabin, porch, bridge, walkway, stair steps, sign, landing, platform, dock, rack, fence, telecommunication device, antennae, fish cleaning table, satellite dish/mount, or well head.
Learn more about structure of the herd and became a symbol for the strength and endurance of his species. Wild bison typically have a lifespan of 15 years, so at 14, Sparky lived a long life roaming the prairie until his death in 2018. While he fathered three calves prior to the strike, genetic testing didn’t find any offspring after his accident. He is still missed by his many fans around the world.
