People in Park City may continue to see mountain lions in the coming weeks and months as the snow falls across the upper elevations.The state Division of Wildlife Resources has published information explaining that mountain lions could descend to the lower elevations as they follow prey. The information is designed for a statewide audience, but it is of use in Park City and surrounding Summit County since the area provides vast habitat for the lions.“As snow falls in the mountains, deer, moose and other big game species move to lower elevations looking for food,” the division, sometimes referred to as the DWR, said in a Monday release. “Cougars, which prey mostly on deer, often follow the deer into the valleys.”Mountain lion sightings in Park City are rare, but the predators have been seen in various locations over the years. The Park City Police Department in early November fielded a report of a sighting involving two young mountain lions along Royal Street and close to a lodge. Other recent sightings have included a case between Silver Lake Village and Snow Park as well as one on a trail in Old Town.The Police Department regularly receives reports of wildlife sightings, but the ones involving mountain lions are notable since the animals can pose a danger to people and pets.The Division of Wildlife Resources information says mountain lions inhabit land across Utah. The division says someone should tell the authorities of a mountain lion sighting under certain circumstances, including if the animal “has killed something in a neighborhood or yard,” and if one shows aggressive behavior.A report should also be filed if a mountain lion “appears several times on your security cameras,” the information says. It says a one-time sighting does not need to be reported, indicating such sightings “are typically when the animal is moving through an area, and it has often left by the time DWR biologists and conservation officers can respond.”The Park City area provides habitat for prey animals like deer and elk at the upper elevations as well as the lower elevations, leading to mountain lion sightings in a wide range of locations.The information from the division covers several other species that are seen in Park City. They include:Deer: The Division of Wildlife Resources says someone should report sightings of deer in neighborhoods “if the animal is acting aggressively.” The information, though, also says to contact the Division of Wildlife Resources should a deer be killed in a collision with a vehicle “so crews can remove the dead animal.” Moose: The information says someone “should report a moose that has wandered into lower-elevation areas and is within city limits or heavily-populated areas, so the DWR can relocate the animal.” It also says moose, if they are not relocated, “can stay in an area for a long time and potentially injure someone or damage property.” The information suggests someone “avoid approaching moose or attempting to ‘herd’ them out of yards or roads.” The police in Park City in April responded to a report of a moose trampling a man outside the Park City Municipal Athletic & Recreation Center. Bobcats: The division says reports of bobcats are not “as common as cougar sightings in urban areas,” but “they are also sometimes spotted in neighborhoods.” Someone should report a sighting of a bobcat “if the animal has caused property damage, attacked a person or attacked a pet or livestock,” according to the division. Bears: Reports of sightings in Park City of black bears are extraordinarily rare. The division says bears “should only be reported if they are being aggressive or if they are getting into trash, fruit trees or causing damage.” The information also says someone “should always report a bear that has wandered into lower-elevation areas and is within city limits or in heavily-populated areas.”Law enforcement responses in Park City to wildlife sightings, particularly those involving moose, deer and elk, typically are designed to ensure the safety of the animals, drivers and people who are passing by the area where an animal was seen. Relocation operations of animals that remain in neighborhoods are rare in Park City.There has long been concern about the S.R. 224 entryway, where collisions between drivers and animals regularly occur. Carcasses of animals killed in collisions are sometimes seen on the side of the state highway, and reports to the police about sightings are commonplace.An activist group known as Save People Save Wildlife continues to urge state transportation officials to install wildlife crossings along S.R. 224 in an effort to reduce the number of collisions. The president of the group, Erin Ferguson, said the Division of Wildlife Resources missed an opportunity to provide “educational information and instruction to the community (about) co-existing with wildlife (and) interacting with wildlife and understanding wildlife behavior.”She said calls to the division about wildlife sightings should be made on a case-by-case basis depending on whether the animal is badly injured or “trapped on a highway with cars all around.”“If the animal itself seems to be in dire straits,” Ferguson said about when she suggests the division be called.She added that wildlife sightings are better documented than in the past.“Most of the time, the animals avoid people,” she said.More information about wildlife in the state is available on the Wild Aware Utah website at wildawareutah.org.The post Seen a mountain lion or moose in Park City? appeared first on Park Record.