FOX 13 News 360: Handling the rare but real dangers from wildlife encounters in Utah Utah is home to an estimated 2,700 cougars. They range the mountains and deserts, and they are deadly predators. But they almost never kill people. In fact, most hikers in Utah never see cougars at all. and last updated 2021-05-24 00:53:23-04 SALT LAKE CITY â On May 13, Jared Smith was running on the Broad Fork trail, four and a half miles from the entrance to Big Cottonwood Canyon, when he heard something move beside the trail and then looked to see a cougar. The big cat followed him closely, within 15 feet at times, for about five minutes.