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PARK CITY — A beloved moose cow named "Roxii" by Summit County residents, who became a "treasured fixture" in the community, died Sunday after Summit County Sheriff Frank Smith said the department and state wildlife officials made a "painful and heartbreaking decision" to euthanize her.
Smith wrote about the animal's death in a Facebook post on Monday.
"Sunday afternoon was a sad and difficult day for many of us," he wrote. "Roxii was not only a symbol of the majestic wildlife of our community, but also a testament to the human compassion and kindness that is abundant in our county."
Roxii was known to frequent the Jeremy Ranch, Pinebrook and Summit Park areas over at least the past 17 years, TownLift reported. Smith wrote that the moose "raised countless calves" as a "protected and loved member of the neighborhood."
While details about what led up to the decision to euthanize were sparse, Summit County Sheriff's Sgt. Felicia Sotelo told KSL.com Monday that Roxii was spotted "staggering and having a hard time walking" recently. She said she didn't know if a deputy spotted the distressed animal first or if a resident had called it in.
The department contacted the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources on Saturday, reporting that the moose appeared to have at least one broken leg and was unable to stand. Faith Heaton Jolley, the division's spokeswoman, said the division authorized the county to euthanize the animal based on the report.
"It is not feasible to rehabilitate big game animals in Utah, due to disease concerns, low survival rates of wildlife that are acclimated to people, and a lack of resources," she explained in a statement to KSL.com. "So when an animal is injured and becomes immobile, there aren't other options besides humanely euthanizing the animal."
The division had received multiple reports in the past that Roxii was "frequenting roads and neighborhoods in the Park City area." Conservation officers sought to find her and relocate her to a "more suitable habitat" in 2020, but the division's efforts were "impeded by a member of the public" and eventually scrapped altogether, she added.
Smith wrote that a decision to euthanize the animal on Sunday was difficult and was "regrettably" carried out "in a public place and in daylight" in order to "quickly and humanely" end Roxii's pain.
"Losing Roxii was awful," he wrote. "Take peace in knowing she taught our community so much and made life safer for our wildlife. She lived a long life and our community was better for knowing and loving her."
He added that the residents can pay tribute to Roxii's life by "being good stewards of our wildlife," including looking out for wildlife on roads in the state. Jolley said residents should also not feed wildlife so that they end up closer to communities and said residents should not interfere with efforts to relocate animals to remote natural habitats.
