A moose carcass was discovered in Park City recently and state wildlife officials, in a different case several days later, relocated one of the animals from Old Town.
The Park City Police Department receives regular reports of wildlife sightings, including moose, but relocations are uncommon. Moose carcasses are also uncommon in Park City.
The police said the relocation, performed by the state Division of Wildlife Resources, occurred at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Friday. The animal was tranquilized close to the intersection of Park Avenue and 9th Street. Wildlife officers typically relocate animals to habitats well outside of populated areas.
There were repeated sightings of a moose last week in that area before the Friday relocation
The moose carcass, meanwhile, was found in a location off Golden Way. The police received the report at 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 8. The person who contacted the agency “thinks she has a dead baby moose” close to a small pond in a front yard, according to department logs. The “momma moose is in the yard” and appeared “upset,” the police were told.
The Police Department said the carcass “was a small moose,” and state wildlife officers were contacted for removal. The police said there was no obvious cause of death.
Meanwhile, the police on Sunday at 9:39 p.m. received a report of a possible sighting of a mountain lion in the area of the intersection of Deer Valley Drive and Queen Esther Drive. The location is in lower Deer Valley in the area of Snow Park. Mountain lion sightings are rare in Park City, but they are notable since the animals pose a threat to people and pets.
The Police Department received several other recent reports involving wildlife. They included:
- On Sept. 13 at 10:30 a.m., a deer, reported to be injured, was seen along S.R. 248 in the area of Quinn’s Junction. The police were told the animal may have needed to be put down as a result of the injuries.
- On Sept. 12 at 11:56 a.m., a bull moose was seen in the area of Park Avenue and 9th Street. The moose was “drawing a crowd,” the police were told.
- On Sept. 10 at 1:56 p.m., a bull moose, described as large, was seen along Woodside Avenue, in the area of a staircase linking the road to Park Avenue.
- On Sept. 10 at 7:42 a.m., a bull moose, described as huge, was reported in the area of the Old Town roundabout. The animal was in the road at the time of the report, the police were told.
- On Sept. 9 at 1:31 p.m., a driver reportedly hit a deer on or close to Holiday Ranch Loop Road. The animal was alive at the time of the call, but the police were told the legs were broken.
- On Sept. 8 at 3:26 p.m., an injured deer was reported on Marsac Avenue in or close to Empire Pass.