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Park City Police Department has advised visitors to Park City, UT, that a mama moose is in the Annie Oakley Drive and Rail Trail area. Officers are on the scene, making sure people are keeping a safe distance.
Moose can become very dangerous when agitated and have been known to charge at people when they feel threatened. A moose so close to residential areas can be dangerous. Every year there are countless reports of skiers and hikers being injured by moose. In some areas of the U.S., wildlife agencies report that more people are injured by moose than bears each year.
Adult moose weigh between 800 to 1,200 pounds and can become very aggressive when they feel threatened. Males are often more aggressive, but females can be very aggressive when having babies or having a baby calf with them. Due to their size, they can become quite dangerous and have been known to injure people. A charging mother moose reportedly killed a dog just last week in Strathcona, near Calgary, Canada.
Due to the deep snowfall this winter, deer, elk, and other big game animals have migrated into lower-elevation areas in Utah looking for food sources as mid-winter their fat storage will run dangerously low. Heavy snow can bring big game animals like moose, deer, and even cougars into cities looking for food and may need to be relocated. “Moose in particular, if they’re not relocated out of an area, they can often stay there for a long time,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources public information officer Faith Heaton Jolley explained.
According to Wild Aware Utah, some warning signs that a moose may become aggressive are:
- Lowering their head
- Hair standing up on the neck
- Licking their snout
- Pinning their ears back
If you encounter a moose, here are some tips on how to behave by Wild Aware Utah:
- On a trail, give it a lot of space and watch its behavior
- Back off if the moose exhibits any signs of aggression
- Stay calm, and do not run. Try to talk calmly and slowly back off in the direction you came from
- If the moose charges, hide behind something solid, such as a tree
- If a moose knocks you down, curl into a ball, protect your head, and lie still until it retreats
