Bison named 'Sparky' survives lighting strike, now sports epic battle scar

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Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Once you've been struck by lightning, nothing can ruffle you anymore.

That certainly seems to be the case for Sparky, a remarkably lucky bison at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa who survived being struck by lightning in July of 2013.

[seealso slug="wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-2015"]

Though it looked like Sparky wasn't going to make it after the disaster, he pulled through. "He was thin after the strike and wasn't expected to live long," the U.S. Department of the Interior said in a press release. "But he proved us wrong!"

Sparky even has a battle scar from his lightning encounter — and some major side-eye to go along with it.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Some major side-eye.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

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