Recently, Save People Save Wildlife posted on social media warning residents and visitors about the negative affects of sharing wildlife photos on the internet.

“Please do not post about the moose and her triplets,” the Save People Save Wildlife caption on Instagram exclaims in all caps, shared with the organization’s logo: a bright red-black-and-yellow graphic made to look like a warning sign. The caption continues to say there are concerns that the state Division of Wildlife Services is considering relocation efforts for this moose family in a Summit County neighborhood, possibly using “regular posts” to “track their movement and location.”

In email correspondence with Utah’s DWR, a representative stated, “at this time, we do not have any plans to relocate any of these moose.”

The moose has become somewhat famous with its triplets, first seen in early June. Moose triplets are known to be extremely rare and likely indicate the mother was well-nourished during the harsh winter months before conceiving.

With its mission of protecting Park City wildlife through advocacy and awareness, Save People Save Wildlife explains in its post that relocation is a risky process for an animal: “Relocation would cause incredible stress to her and her offspring and likely be a death sentence … as they would not know where to find food and water and safe places to rest in the new environment.”

In an email from SPSW’s Erin Ferguson, she shared a paper, “Outcomes associated with translocation of mule deer,” to back those concerns, adding SPSW is following up for more information from a local biologist.

With increased moose and calf sightings this year, photos of these young animal families have showed up on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor. Geotagging options and people’s eagerness to share the location of these animals have raised concerns with Save People Save Wildlife that this could endanger them.

Aside from supposedly tipping off the DWR, sharing the location of wildlife can encourage more human investigation at the risk of spooking the mama into violent defense of her babies.

Decreasing posts is one way to respect the animals’ privacy and keep impacts to a minimum.