Moose amble onto Main Street, string of sightings continue

The four-legged animal in the neighborhood might not be a dog or a cat.

There has been a series of moose sightings in recent weeks in Park City, and many of them have been along or close to residential streets.

A state wildlife official assigned to Park City and surrounding Summit County said moose at this time of year are attempting to move between elevations. Sometimes they have difficulty ascending to the higher elevations because the ground remains covered with snow, said Bruce Johnson, the Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officer whose assignment includes Park City.

Johnson said the moose are still finding the food they need at the lower elevations. The vegetation that they feed on is greener now at the lower elevations of Park City, he said.

Johnson said he had received two or three calls about moose in Park City since mid-April. Wildlife officials have not removed any of the moose from Park City recently. If the moose become a problem, the Division of Wildlife Resources sometimes tranquilizes them and moves them to a wilderness area.

Johnson said he anticipates the moose will move to higher elevations as the weather improves and the snow melts.

Johnson recommends people not crowd a moose if they see one. The animal may see the people as threatening.

In the final week of April, the Park City Police Department continued to field calls from people who had spotted moose. Some of the cases included: