Park City Police recently received a report that a bobcat had been spotted on or near a hiking trail just outside the densely built-up Old Town.
The agency received the report at 12:04 p.m. on Friday, August 23. Public police records place the site on the Mother Urban Trail. One end of the trail begins in the area of the switchback between Empire Avenue and Lowell Avenue. The site is near the southern and western portions of Old Town.
Police were told the animal was “aggressive,” reports said. The person who contacted police said he “left it alone” but did not want “other people to bump into it,” reports said.
Bobcat sightings are rare in Park City, but they are notable because the animals can pose a danger to people and pets. The location of the Aug. 23 case is also significant because it is so close to residential streets in Old Town. The neighborhood climbs hills and is close to open space and mountain resort grounds.
Police regularly receive reports of wildlife incidents involving moose, elk and deer, including in and around Old Town. Officers who respond to cases typically try to ensure the safety of both people and animals.
Police received several complaints about a young moose in the Holiday Ranch Loop Road area over the course of several days. Agency logs did not indicate whether the same animal was seen in each case.
On Sunday, August 25, at 12:44 p.m., a young moose was seen “alone” in a park near a landslide trail on Holiday Ranch Loop Road. Two days earlier, on Friday, August 23, at 5:20 p.m., a young moose was reported near a playground on Holiday Ranch Loop Road.
A young moose was also reported in the same area on Tuesday, August 20, and Wednesday, August 21. The person who contacted police on August 21 told the agency the animal had been there for several days.
On August 21, police received a report of a deer in the area of Little Kate Road and Racquet Club Drive at 1:17 p.m. The deer was “off to the side” and not blocking the road, police said. Logs did not indicate if the report was of a live animal or a carcass.
