A cow moose and her two calves cross near a roadway off SR-224, where concerned residents have been urging drivers to slow down Photo: Bobby Paulus

SNYDERVILLE, Utah — As of mid-morning on June 17, a cow moose and her two calves, born this spring, were still lingering dangerously close to State Route 224 near the Silver Springs neighborhood. Concerned TownLift readers have reached out worried someone will hit one of them, and community members have been spotted trying to slow traffic in the area.

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The risk is heightened by the SR-224 Bus Rapid Transit project. Work in this area includes new station construction at Bobsled and Cutter Lane, utility relocations, and roadway excavation, and drivers should expect periodic lane shifts, shoulder closures, and changing traffic patterns. Those narrowed lanes and unfamiliar patterns leave less room and less reaction time, exactly when a moose can step into the road.

What drivers should do: slow down through the construction zone, especially at dawn and dusk when moose are most active. Watch for animals and do not stop in a travel lane or approach the moose.

Moose are bigger and faster than many drivers realize. Adults can weigh 800 to 1,200 pounds and run up to 35 miles per hour, and they are most active near dawn and dusk. Cows with calves can be especially aggressive in the spring. As Wild Aware Utah puts it, in a car versus moose scenario, neither wins.

If you spot the moose in a hazardous spot, slow down and keep your distance. To report aggressive wildlife, contact the nearest Utah Division of Wildlife Resources office, or after hours and on weekends call your local police or the county sheriff, who can reach a conservation officer.