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Park City police told of mountain lion in Park Meadows, tracks found

Predator seen in heavily populated neighborhood before leaving up a hill

The Park City Police Department recently received a report of a mountain lion sighting in the area of the Lucky John Drive-American Saddler Drive intersection. The location is in heavily populated Park Meadows.
Jay Hamburger/Park Record

The Park City Police Department earlier in March received a report of a mountain lion sighting in a heavily populated neighborhood.

The report was logged at 5:44 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8 in the area of the intersection of Lucky John Drive and American Saddler Drive. The Police Department said afterward it appeared the mountain lion arrived at the location from the north and left in the same direction, up a hill. The police said officers did not see the mountain lion, but they followed the animal’s tracks “to ensure its retreat.”

The intersection is located within the interior of Park Meadows, amid residential streets. It is also situated close to the Park Meadows Country Club golf course. The location does not abut but is in the vicinity of the large tracts of open space in Round Valley.



Mountain lion sightings are rare in Park City, but they are notable since the predators can pose a danger to people and pets. Mountain lions tend to follow prey, and deer and other prey animals are plentiful in the Park City area.

The police in January were told of a mountain lion in Old Town, another neighborhood with lots of people in full-time residences or rented units. The case in January was reported on Woodside Avenue, two blocks from Main Street and a block from Park Avenue.



The March 8 report of a mountain lion was one of a series of Police Department calls involving wildlife last week. There have been numerous wildlife-related calls to the police this winter as a result of the heavy snowfall. The animals moved to lower elevations in search of foraging grounds as the snow collected at the higher-elevation parts of the Park City area. They are more likely to be seen or be involved in a vehicle collision at the lower elevations.

Some of the recent cases reported to the Police Department included:

• on Wednesday, March 8 at 7:37 a.m., a deer carcass was seen in the road on S.R. 224.

• on March 8 at 12:27 a.m., a young deer was seen on the ground on the side of the road in the area of the intersection of Park Avenue and Holiday Ranch Loop Road. It was “curled up” and possibly injured, the police were told.

• on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:54 p.m., a “bunch of” deer were seen close to the road in the area of Kearns Boulevard and Cooke Drive. The person who contacted the police said the animals may attempt to cross the road.

• on Tuesday, March 7 at 6:18 a.m., elk were seen moving across S.R. 224. An officer remained at the location to act as an “early warner” until all the animals crossed.

• on Monday, March 6 at 10:06 p.m., a bus reportedly hit a deer in the area of Wyatt Earp Way and did not stop. The animal was alive at the time of the report to the police but needed to be put down as a result of the injuries.


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