Cougar Loose in North Chicago

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They want to check the cougar's DNA!!!!!!!!!!!

http://gazettextra.com/news/2008/apr/15/dnr-dead-cougar-chicago-could-be-milton-area-cat/

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials hope to compare DNA from a cougar shot Monday by police on Chicago’s North Side to DNA from a cougar spotted northeast of Milton in January.

Chicago police said an officer shot and killed a 150-pound cougar in an alley after several residents reported seeing the cat, which was more than 5 feet long.

“It’s real intriguing,” said Wisconsin DNR wildlife supervisor Doug Fendry. “I certainly would not rule out the possibility that it’s the same cougar that we’ve had in our area.”
 
I thought from the beginning that this poor animal may have originally been someone's pet kept illegally. If this is true, than the owners may not claim him because of the heavy fines, likely criminal record he would receive, and that the owner would be responsible for any damage the cougar did to property or to people.

Cougars have a huge home range, and travelling 15 miles in a day is nothing for them. This is likely the same cougar that was seen in the suburbs.

This is so sad.

Lion
 
golfmom said:
You can see the video here of the cougar running right behind the police officer:

http://www.myfoxchicago.com/myfox/pages/Home;jsessionid=9F2C1BD5090152B4263282607C64A798
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I am sorry, but that is hysterical! Hell, in my home town the thing could have run in FRONT of some of those cops and they would have been just as clueless.

Glad no one was hurt, just wish it could have been rescued and taken to an animal refuge. Wonder why there were not more officers out and about with tranq guns? :waitasec:
 
I'm so sorry they had to kill the cougar too. The police officers said that there wasn't time for animal control to respond, which I believe is true. Some idiot animal rights lady got on tv and tried to explain how "shy and gentle" these animals are and that there was no reason to shoot him.
 
golfmom said:
I'm so sorry they had to kill the cougar too. The police officers said that there wasn't time for animal control to respond, which I believe is true. Some idiot animal rights lady got on tv and tried to explain how "shy and gentle" these animals are and that there was no reason to shoot him.
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I saw it on the national news tonight.

When I was a kid I remember my uncle (a vet) treating a cougar, which was really cool for me at 10 years old to see. If memory serves me he was an exotic pet (the cougar not my uncle ;) ) and had some bit parts in movies. They can be shy and gentle, but any animal that feels cornered or threatened will fight. There was one of those animal/nature shows on a few years back that said older cougars will from time to time venture into populated areas in search of easy food.

It's sad it had to be destroyed, aside from them being absolutely beautiful, last I heard they're also endangered.
 
Cougars are elusive, ambush hunters. They are predatory animals who attack in silence. But, they are beautiful, graceful animals that have a place on this earth. Humans are hunters and can be considered to be predatory, too. This is just nature.

It is sad that such a beautiful animal had to be killed, but I am also glad that no one was hurt by the big cat. If that cat belonged to someone who simply released it when it got to be too much to care for, then shame on that person. It was said that the cougar appeared to be tame. That would explain how it ended up in a place where no cougars had been seen for a long time.

Lion
 
LionRun, the necropsy was completed and they said that it everything points to it being a wild cat that was looking for a mate. They think he may have migrated south from Wisconsin and are running DNA tests to see if he's the one that DNR has been tracking.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/896894,CST-NWS-cougar16.article

But based on a necropsy performed Tuesday there doesn't seem to be any doubt the cougar was a wild animal, not a kept exotic pet that somehow got loose.

Donna Alexander, the administrator of Cook County animal control, said the animal was missing all the hallmarks of a kept animal -- his incisors, or gripping teeth, were intact, as were his claws. And there was no microchip inserted in the animal or reports from sanctioned sanctuaries of a missing cougar.
​

This is a little about the one that was spotted in WI:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Cougar

Genetic analysis of DNA from a Cougar sighting in Wisconsin in 2008 indicated that a Cougar was in Wisconsin and that it was not captive. It is speculated that the cougar migrated from a native population in the Black Hills of South Dakota; however, the genetic analysis could not affirm that hypothesis. It is also uncertain whether there are other, perhaps breeding, cougars. However, a second sighting was reported and tracks were documented in a nearby Wisconsin community. Unfortunately, a genetic analysis could not be done and a determination could not be made. .[4]
 
Golfmom, thank you:). I am glad to know at least that the cat was likely not a cat that had been set free.

Lion
 
LionRun said:
Golfmom, thank you:). I am glad to know at least that the cat was likely not a cat that had been set free.

Lion
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Quite frankly, I think the story is much more impressive that it was a wild cat. I'm so sorry this one had to be put down, but it's exciting to know that they're making a come back into WI and IL.

This is a map from cougarnet.org (great site!) showing confirmed sitings of cougars since the 1990s.

http://www.cougarnet.org/totalus.html
 
LionRun said:
Hmm. That the cougar rubbed against the squad car may mean that the animal is familiar with cars enough to want to mark them with his/her scent. I wonder if this is someone's escaped pet.

Lion
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Nope, they determined that it was wild...
 
golfmom said:
I'm so sorry they had to kill the cougar too. The police officers said that there wasn't time for animal control to respond, which I believe is true. Some idiot animal rights lady got on tv and tried to explain how "shy and gentle" these animals are and that there was no reason to shoot him.
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There really was no reason to become trigger happy or to "shoot to kill"! They could have taken the animal down with one shot. NOT TEN! THEY cornered the animal so of course it's going to get defensive!

Not only that, but they also risked the lives of that family who's house was the one the cops were shooting near. They had kids inside the house. What if one of those bullets truly went errant and through the house and hit one of their kids in the head?!?!? That family said the cops shot through not one, but TWO of their air conditioning units.

This is why I believe that Chicago police officers also need to be armed with tranquilizer guns. If not a cougar, it will be another animal, such as a mountain lion, alligator (yes people keep them as pets then dump them when they get too large), coyote, pit bull, or other large dog.

This happens in Chicago more often than you think.....
 
Dee, it takes around 15 minutes or so for a cougar to feel the effects of a tranquilizer, and that's if it's properly done. California officers have extensive training on "how to", Chicago cops don't. After they're shot, they become even more hostile and take off. That scenario would have officers trying to track a wounded, angry animal through a very busy neighborhood.

IMO, they did everything, exactly the way they should have. I'd rather see a headline announcing a cougar shot, than a child mauled.
 
Not only does the tranquilizer take several minutes to work--if it even works the first time, but first they had to find a skilled veterinarian or Fish and Wildlife agent to do the job. Then the person would have had to have made it their quick enough to take a first shot. I doubt that folks in Chicago have a skilled vet or Fish and Wildlife agent on the ready for this. Sadly, I think the officers did what they had to do.

Lion
 
golfmom said:
Dee, it takes around 15 minutes or so for a cougar to feel the effects of a tranquilizer, and that's if it's properly done. California officers have extensive training on "how to", Chicago cops don't. After they're shot, they become even more hostile and take off. That scenario would have officers trying to track a wounded, angry animal through a very busy neighborhood.

IMO, they did everything, exactly the way they should have. I'd rather see a headline announcing a cougar shot, than a child mauled.
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No they didn't. They went a little too far IMHO. When there are bullets whizzing through people's air conditioners, that's a little overkill, don't you think?

How'd you feel if they shot your child in the head while trying to kill a cougar with well OVER 20 shots! (The last report was 24 rounds!!!) This is a very densely populated area! The didn't even clear civilians from the area before they started shooting at the animal! Talk about blatant disregard!

IMO Mayor Daley and Supt. Weis are trying to make this seem like it's not as big of a deal as it is. This is evidenced by the fact that they had been stalking this thing ALL DAY. Animal Control WAS on the scene. Don't believe everything you read in mainstream Chicago media. There is a lot they conveniently leave out of the story! Animal Control very well could have came up with a plan with CPD to end this WITHOUT killing the animal and putting HUMAN lives in danger!!!!

IMHO the gun fire was far more dangerous than a scared cougar.
 
LionRun said:
Not only does the tranquilizer take several minutes to work--if it even works the first time, but first they had to find a skilled veterinarian or Fish and Wildlife agent to do the job. Then the person would have had to have made it their quick enough to take a first shot. I doubt that folks in Chicago have a skilled vet or Fish and Wildlife agent on the ready for this. Sadly, I think the officers did what they had to do.

Lion
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Um, yes we do. It's called ANIMAL CONTROL. We also have numerous Fish & Wildlife Agents throughout the area!
 
Dee, I've been tracking the cougar story long before it hit the "news". Before it was even sighted in North Chicago. I'm not a Daley fan, nor a Chicago Police Officer fan (big posting history on those subjects), but IMO, they couldn't do anything other than what they had done.
 
I do not think the officers were shooting wildly, they were shooting at a moving target. It would have been the same if they had been shooting at an armed man charging at them. Would anyone suggest they not shoot in that situation for fear of hitting someone? If you have ever been charged at by an animal you know how frightful it can get. Heck I was charged at by a cow, not a bull with horns and not a cougar with sharp claws and teeth made for biting and tearing, a cow and it scared the carp out of me. If I had had a gun at the time I would have fired at her. Luckily I was able to get over a fence in time. And we all know if they had not found this cougar and someone had been bitten, not even killed, just bitten then people would have been all over the police for not doing enough.
 
READ THIS THEN (make sure you watch the video, especially the second one) This blog is a very good source of video:
http://www.wilderness-sportsman.com/wsblog/

If you watch the video, it's completely apparent that the cops were NOT being "attacked" by this cougar as Mayor Daley, Jody Weis, and the media would like you to believe. It was running away.

FOX NEWS was on the scene as the cops are shooting at the cougar. They're apparently shooting ACROSS SOMEONE'S BACKYARD! and not up close as most reports have been saying. If you've ever fired a gun, you'll know what I mean. When you're shooting from distance you hold your gun high to aim at the subject; if the cougar was close to them they'd be pointed somewhat downward at the cougar. Someone's lying to cover their asses......

Here's the kicker for me, if FOX NEWS had enough time to get there, as evidenced by their footage of the police shooting at the animal, then why wasn't someone from Animal Control, Lincoln Park Zoo, or Brookfield Zoo there to tranquilize and control the cougar?

Animal Control does it ALL the time with pit bulls, mastiffs, rotweillers, etc. Same size animals. They say that Animal Control was on the scene so why didn't they immediately put into effect an action plan to capture this animal instead of shoot at it risking human lives!?!
 
curious1 said:
I do not think the officers were shooting wildly, they were shooting at a moving target. It would have been the same if they had been shooting at an armed man charging at them. Would anyone suggest they not shoot in that situation for fear of hitting someone? If you have ever been charged at by an animal you know how frightful it can get. Heck I was charged at by a cow, not a bull with horns and not a cougar with sharp claws and teeth made for biting and tearing, a cow and it scared the carp out of me. If I had had a gun at the time I would have fired at her. Luckily I was able to get over a fence in time. And we all know if they had not found this cougar and someone had been bitten, not even killed, just bitten then people would have been all over the police for not doing enough.
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Oh boy. The cougar was NOT charging them, nor was it attacking them. Look at the videos from Fox News that show the cops shooting at the cougar FROM A DISTANCE and then try to tell me that that animal was "charging" them!!!
 
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