Interesting anyways... They are out there... http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Pages/WildlifeBiologiststoExamineCougarFoundinWhitesideCounty.aspx SPRINGFIELD, IL – Wildlife biologists will examine the remains of a cougar found on a farm near Morrison in rural Whiteside County in an effort to learn more about the animal’s recent history and origin, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced today. An IDNR Conservation Police Officer (CPO) on Nov. 20 responded to a call from a Whiteside County farm owner that a large cat had been seen exiting a corn field, running toward the farm owner’s home and outbuildings. When the CPO arrived at the farm, he made contact with the farm owner’s wife, who was in the house, and checked a horse barn and lot where the landowner’s horses were located. The cougar was discovered in a concrete tunnel beneath a corn crib. After consulting with the farm owner’s wife and IDNR law enforcement and wildlife personnel, and at the farm owner’s request, it was determined that the cougar should be euthanized. The CPO dispatched the animal with his IDNR-issued rifle. The cougar appeared to weigh more than 100 pounds and was 5-and-half to 6-feet in length. Wildlife biologists will take possession of the animal and conduct a necropsy. Cougars, also known as mountain lions, were extirpated from Illinois before 1870 and are not protected by the Illinois Wildlife Code. There is no evidence that a resident breeding population exists in Illinois, but occasional transient cougars have been found in the state in recent years, likely dispersing from states to the west of Illinois, including South Dakota. There were three confirmed cougars in Illinois between 2002 and 2008. A male was killed by a train in Randolph County in 2002. Another male was killed by a hunter in Mercer County in 2004. A third male was shot and killed on the north side of Chicago in 2008. Although analysis indicates these three animals were genetically similar to mountain lions from South Dakota, their history in the wild is uncertain. More recently, images taken by trail cameras in Jo Daviess County (September 2012) and in Morgan, Pike and Calhoun counties (October and November 2012) were confirmed by IDNR as showing a live cougar. Given the long distances typically traveled by cougars, and the proximity of the counties (especially Calhoun, Morgan and Pike), it is possible that the camera images may show the same animal. For more information on cougars, check the Living with Wildlife in Illinois website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/wildlife/ For a photo image of the cougar, click here: http://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Documents/lion1.jpg
I agree they should have relocated it. I hope they are going to get it mounted. It would be ashamed for it to rot.
I personally have no desire for those cats to be anywhere in this state. If they could have relocated it back out west, Id been okay with that.
I have seen a trailcam pic of a Cougar from around Carlinville, IL in the past few weeks.....any info?
They are around this area, as several sightings have been confirmed for several years now. Along the Great River Road, in the Grafton/Elsah IL area there are big cats taking up residence. The very wooded, steep limestone bluffs along the Mississippi/Illinois River offers perfect habitat for the cats. I personally know 2 people that have seen them in that area. One person is a Biologist from SIU-E, and he has taken plaster cast's on the paw prints, and confirmed that it is indeed a Cougar. The IDNR knows of the sighting in Macoupin County (Carlinville area), but they are saying little else on that matter, as of now anyway. I think they are wanting to keep the presence of the cats low key, as to not cause panic by those freaked out by anything and everything they have no knowledge of. Personally, I think it's cool that we have some big cats taking up residence in Illinois. I would love to see one in the wild sometime.
We have them here in MO too. DNR has tried to deny and poo poo sightings for years but we all know we have a breeding population. I saw one cross a road clear back in 1985 in snow and it left perfect tracks, have seen them in recent years as well around the area but have yet to get one on trail cam. The occasional cat gets killed here and they seem confused as to how exactly to handle those cases from a PR standpoint. Denial of resident cats makes it look more like some sort of conspiracy. I have no more desire to have cougars (the cat kind) around than I do timber wolves or bear and will shoot either on sight. Yotes are a big enough problem.
Wow Tough read seeing everyone wants an awesome animal kiiled. Theres no way the killing machine of a wolf pack and only kill a kill for a few day feed. I've been stalked by one on an Elk hunt 4 years back. I had a arrow in one hand and bow in the other on my walk out turning circles on my 3 mile walk out! Took me 2 hours to hike out being so critical to every noise on my way out. I actually spotted him 45 yards away from my stand while in it at noon. The grasses were 6 feet tall. I had no intentions toward kiiling the lion, but took care to be carful to protect mySELF! Rocky
