The Park City Police Department in early April continued to receive wildlife-related reports, including one that involved an animal that was apparently injured so badly it was struggling to survive.
The police received numerous reports of animal sightings over the winter and the cases have continued into the spring with large amounts of snow still covering the upper elevations. Animals tend to descend to the lower elevations of the Park City area in search of grazing lands when snow covers the upper elevations. There is more danger at the lower elevations since that is where most of the traffic is.
Some of the recent cases included:
• on Saturday, April 8 at 7:05 p.m., a deer, described to the police as “1/2 dead,” was seen on a sidewalk in the area of Miners Hospital. The police were told a driver may have hit the animal and it may need to be destroyed.
• on April 8 at 1:37 a.m., a young moose was seen along or close to S.R. 224. The police said the animal was seen at the location of an earlier collision between a driver and wildlife.
• on Thursday, April 6 at 4:23 p.m., a moose, described as large, was seen “lying in the sun” on Euston Drive. The person who contacted the police was unsure if the animal was injured “since it was walking around earlier,” according to public police logs.
• on Wednesday, April 5 at 6:21 p.m., the police were told a dog was “chasing and injuring” deer on Oak Rim Lane. Public police logs did not provide details.
• on Monday, April 3 6:36 p.m., a moose, described as “unhealthy looking,” was seen in the area of the intersection of Kearns Boulevard and Monitor Drive. The police were told the animal was limping.
• on April 3 at 2:38 p.m., a young moose was seen on the street in the area of the intersection of Lucky John Drive and Monitor Drive. The police said the animal created a traffic hazard.
A carcass of a large animal, meanwhile, was visible along the inbound shoulder of S.R. 224 on Monday morning close to the Park City limits. A sign in support of measures to protect drivers and animals, such as wildlife crossings, was at the scene on Monday morning.