Park City locals save moose trapped in their backyard

PARK CITY, Utah — A Park City resident and two sheriff deputies helped a moose that got tangled up in a backyard.

Moose sightings are common in the mountain city, and it’s something that Park City resident Francesca Paglione has grown accustomed to.

“It’s so magical to have wildlife in your backyard,” Paglione said.

A pair of moose made themselves at home in Paglione’s backyard.

“Like, once or twice a week,” she said. “This is kind of like their moose pad they like to hang out on.”

Paglione said things got dicey when the bull moose tried to show off for his lady friend.

“Our cat alerted us to the fact that there was something outside,” she recalled

Their cat, Koda, was the first to spot the male moose fighting against their hammock.

“You could tell that he was agitated and that he kind of had some deep breathing going on,” Paglione said.

She said she and her husband called law enforcement, but the Department of Natural Resources was a few hours away, so local law enforcement arrived instead.

“Within 10 minutes, we had the sheriff’s department, two deputies at our front door,” Paglione said.

While the bull moose struggled, the cow moose kept an eye on him.

“[The cow moose] definitely was around and could tell he was in despair,” Paglione recalled.

The two deputies hatched a plan from higher ground.

“Once they walked down to him, and they felt like it was the safest time to try to cut him away, he kind of calmed down,” she said.

The deputies slowly approached the giant animal, and with a few swift cuts, the moose was free.

“It was the biggest sigh of relief,” Paglione said.

The entanglement didn’t stop the moose from making another move toward his lady love.

“He ran off into the forest, found his girlfriend,” she said.

Paglione said the moose pair stayed around their backyard for a few days, grazing in their backyard. The Park City resident hopes to see them again.