If the drive into Park City Friday took longer than usual, it was not just skiers trying to catch first tracks or Sundance attendees for early screenings, two herds of elk were seen from state Route 224 in separate locations.
The first herd was spotted near the intersection of Cutter Lane and state Route 224, while the second was seen near Saint Mary’s Catholic Church, just west of 224.
Erin Ferguson, president of Save People Save Wildlife, said both herds appeared to be alert and on the move.
“So we received multiple calls, multiple text messages with updates. And you know, the huge amount of traffic coming into town for skiing and Sundance,” Ferguson said. “But we did notice a Summit County Sheriff, Utah Highway Patrol, they were both making a presence around both of the herds. So that's good.”
Ferguson said seeing the elk so close to the road makes her nervous for multiple reasons.
“That's the thing, we can’t predict driver behavior, we can't predict animal behavior. So they could cross it any time,” she said. “So we just have to be careful for motorists’ safety as well as wildlife safety, because they're, you know, they're moving back and forth right now. They bed down at night to areas that they feed during the day. So they're moving.”
Ferguson said last week an elk was killed at night on 224 when an Uber driver with a local passenger from the Sundance Film Festival struck the elk. No injuries were reported but the driver’s SUV was totaled.
Ferguson added that safe passage for wildlife is key to prevent future accidents.
“Everyone will be safer, everyone will benefit and return on investment, reducing wildlife vehicle collisions by 90%,” Ferguson said. “And in some cases, that's the amount of money that is spent on wildlife vehicle collisions, like if the Uber driver’s car was totaled. You know, that's if there's any medical bills, you know, the costs of that. It's just a waste of money. It is preventable.”
Ferguson said Save People Save Wildlife is applying for a federal grant in the wildlife crossing program to build a safe passage for the animals. The deadline for the grant application is Aug. 1.