Mountain lions, cougars, and bears, oh my! Posts on social media lately are proof that wildlife encounters do happen in the Uintah Basin and are sometimes caught on doorbell or security cameras. The Division of Wildlife Resources shares that as snow falls in the mountains, wildlife move to lower elevations looking for food and while it may seem like these types of sightings are increasing, it is actually a combination of a few things: Increased building in the foothill areas and canyons (where wildlife are naturally located) and an increase in the number of cameras on people’s homes (which capture more wildlife sightings that previously went undetected). If you do happen to see wildlife in your neighborhood or yard, you should always keep your distance for your own safety and for the safety of the animal. “Getting too close to a wild animal can cause the animal to feel threatened,” shares DWR Captain Chad Bettridge. “If it feels threatened, it will sometimes act aggressively to protect itself. Plus, because it’s harder for some wildlife to find food in the winter, they need to conserve energy in order to survive.” For information on when and how to report a wildlife sighting, visit wildlife.utah.gov.
