Cougar sightings catch authorities' attention
Reports of cougar incidents and sightings in Henry County, Ill., have become so numerous that a representative of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said he's going to begin tracking them.
Capt. Greg Hunter of the Illinois Conservation Police said he hasn't bothered to track cougar reports in the past. His decision comes after a recent meeting he had with concerned residents in Henry County."I'm not going to dispel the fact that they think they've seen a cougar down there," Hunter said. "We get a number of cougar sightings from the public."
Meanwhile, former Henry County Sheriff Gib Cady, who retired last week after 32 years in office and was replaced by Sheriff Jim Padilla, said he has heard enough reports to be convinced that there is, indeed, a cougar roaming the countryside.
"These people are stating they've seen them, with details," he said. "They know what they're talking about. They've got me pretty well convinced that there is such a thing."
There have been three confirmed cougars found in the wild in Illinois in the past decade, and one of them was discovered in the Quad-City area. In December 2004, hunters found a dead cougar near New Boston, Ill., in Mercer County.The confirmations were reported by the The Cougar Network found online at www.cougarnet.org. The nonprofit organization studies cougar-habitat relationships with an emphasis on studying cougar populations expanding into their former habitats.The site also lists five confirmed sightings in Iowa, but none of those were near the Quad-Cities. The cougar's nearest established habitat is western Nebraska.
Henry County sightings
Cady said the sheriff's department has received recent cougar sightings from the Geneseo, Kewanee, Woodhull and Alpha areas."Some of these people I've known all my life," he said. "They're not people that make stuff up."One such sighting came from Robert W. Lopez, who lives north of Geneseo, not far from Wolf Road. Lopez said he watched a cougar stalk a small deer in his front yard for five minutes or more shortly after 11 p.m. Nov. 16.He saw the deer first under a street light by the road, and it was standing still. He then noticed a large animal by the mail box with a long tail. As it entered the light and stalked the deer, he got a good look at it and is sure of what he saw."I could see it real plain," he said. "I just could not get over it."
Pat Warren, another Geneseo area resident, said she saw a cougar run across the road in front of her in July while she walking near the Belezaire Arabian Horse Farm where an Arabian mare was attacked last year."It was huge, and I saw the big long tail," she said. "I was startled enough that I had a phone with me and instantly called some friends and said, 'Come pick me up, I just saw a cougar.'"Warren thinks the cougar didn't see her coming because the corn was up. The experience frightened her enough that she began walking in town.
Hunter said there have been recent attacks on horses in Henry County, including one that was killed. He said it's possible horses are targeted because cattle are confined and because there are not as many feral hogs as in years past."There certainly is something that is attacking the horses down there," he said, noting it also could be coyotes or wild dogs.
Illinois DNR's role
The DNR's conservation police take reports of unusual wildlife sightings."We're happy to assist, and our involvement is the same as the Henry County Sheriff's Office," Hunter said. "We will respond to any attacks called in to us to assist in identifying the animal responsible."Identification can be done through hair fibers, claw marks and plaster castings, which can be analyzed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hunter said. They also can measure injuries on animals and use photo analisys of those injuries.So far, the department has not received sufficient evidence from the Henry County sightings and attacks to make a confirmation, he said.
Hunter noted that in Iowa, it is legal to own a cougar as a pet, while in Illinois a permit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is required. Because some people do have permits, he said that when a cougar is found, researchers want to know if it was wild or someone's pet that got loose.
Other predators?
Hunter said he grew up in Hillsdale, Ill., and lived in Henry County for a few years. He knows packs of wild dogs can be a problem in the area and wonders if they are not responsible for some of the attacks being reported. Bobcats also are found in Illinois, although they have short tails, he said.Another possibility is the gray wolf, which has been spotted sporadically in Illinois, Hunter added.Although gray wolves are a protected species, cougars are not protected in Illinois and can be killed with permission from the land owner, Hunter said. If a cougar is killed, Hunter said, he insists it be turned over to the DNR for testing.
Cougars could be coming from the West, but it's also possible they are a protected species from the South, where they are endangered, Hunter noted. If there are cougars in Henry County, it is unlikely there are more than one or two, Hunter said, noting the big cats are at the top of the food chain and roam a large area.
How to avoid attacks?
For those who own livestock, keeping donkeys is an option as they are aggressive toward predators, Hunter said. Llamas are another possibility because they are curious by nature and will approach a cougar first, scaring it away.
There also are electric products for fencing that can keep cougars out, Hunter said.
If someone comes face-to-face with a cougar, do not turn and run, Cady said, adding it is better to stand tall, wave your hands and make noise to scare the cat away.
Although Cady is convinced one or more cougars is roaming Henry County, Hunter is not so sure. Until a cat can be found or confirmed through other means, it's impossible to know for certain.
"It's a mystery, and yes, it's gotten a lot of interest," Hunter said.
Capt. Greg Hunter of the Illinois Conservation Police said he hasn't bothered to track cougar reports in the past. His decision comes after a recent meeting he had with concerned residents in Henry County."I'm not going to dispel the fact that they think they've seen a cougar down there," Hunter said. "We get a number of cougar sightings from the public."
Meanwhile, former Henry County Sheriff Gib Cady, who retired last week after 32 years in office and was replaced by Sheriff Jim Padilla, said he has heard enough reports to be convinced that there is, indeed, a cougar roaming the countryside.
"These people are stating they've seen them, with details," he said. "They know what they're talking about. They've got me pretty well convinced that there is such a thing."
There have been three confirmed cougars found in the wild in Illinois in the past decade, and one of them was discovered in the Quad-City area. In December 2004, hunters found a dead cougar near New Boston, Ill., in Mercer County.The confirmations were reported by the The Cougar Network found online at www.cougarnet.org. The nonprofit organization studies cougar-habitat relationships with an emphasis on studying cougar populations expanding into their former habitats.The site also lists five confirmed sightings in Iowa, but none of those were near the Quad-Cities. The cougar's nearest established habitat is western Nebraska.
Henry County sightings
Cady said the sheriff's department has received recent cougar sightings from the Geneseo, Kewanee, Woodhull and Alpha areas."Some of these people I've known all my life," he said. "They're not people that make stuff up."One such sighting came from Robert W. Lopez, who lives north of Geneseo, not far from Wolf Road. Lopez said he watched a cougar stalk a small deer in his front yard for five minutes or more shortly after 11 p.m. Nov. 16.He saw the deer first under a street light by the road, and it was standing still. He then noticed a large animal by the mail box with a long tail. As it entered the light and stalked the deer, he got a good look at it and is sure of what he saw."I could see it real plain," he said. "I just could not get over it."
Pat Warren, another Geneseo area resident, said she saw a cougar run across the road in front of her in July while she walking near the Belezaire Arabian Horse Farm where an Arabian mare was attacked last year."It was huge, and I saw the big long tail," she said. "I was startled enough that I had a phone with me and instantly called some friends and said, 'Come pick me up, I just saw a cougar.'"Warren thinks the cougar didn't see her coming because the corn was up. The experience frightened her enough that she began walking in town.
Hunter said there have been recent attacks on horses in Henry County, including one that was killed. He said it's possible horses are targeted because cattle are confined and because there are not as many feral hogs as in years past."There certainly is something that is attacking the horses down there," he said, noting it also could be coyotes or wild dogs.
Illinois DNR's role
The DNR's conservation police take reports of unusual wildlife sightings."We're happy to assist, and our involvement is the same as the Henry County Sheriff's Office," Hunter said. "We will respond to any attacks called in to us to assist in identifying the animal responsible."Identification can be done through hair fibers, claw marks and plaster castings, which can be analyzed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hunter said. They also can measure injuries on animals and use photo analisys of those injuries.So far, the department has not received sufficient evidence from the Henry County sightings and attacks to make a confirmation, he said.
Hunter noted that in Iowa, it is legal to own a cougar as a pet, while in Illinois a permit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is required. Because some people do have permits, he said that when a cougar is found, researchers want to know if it was wild or someone's pet that got loose.
Other predators?
Hunter said he grew up in Hillsdale, Ill., and lived in Henry County for a few years. He knows packs of wild dogs can be a problem in the area and wonders if they are not responsible for some of the attacks being reported. Bobcats also are found in Illinois, although they have short tails, he said.Another possibility is the gray wolf, which has been spotted sporadically in Illinois, Hunter added.Although gray wolves are a protected species, cougars are not protected in Illinois and can be killed with permission from the land owner, Hunter said. If a cougar is killed, Hunter said, he insists it be turned over to the DNR for testing.
Cougars could be coming from the West, but it's also possible they are a protected species from the South, where they are endangered, Hunter noted. If there are cougars in Henry County, it is unlikely there are more than one or two, Hunter said, noting the big cats are at the top of the food chain and roam a large area.
How to avoid attacks?
For those who own livestock, keeping donkeys is an option as they are aggressive toward predators, Hunter said. Llamas are another possibility because they are curious by nature and will approach a cougar first, scaring it away.
There also are electric products for fencing that can keep cougars out, Hunter said.
If someone comes face-to-face with a cougar, do not turn and run, Cady said, adding it is better to stand tall, wave your hands and make noise to scare the cat away.
Although Cady is convinced one or more cougars is roaming Henry County, Hunter is not so sure. Until a cat can be found or confirmed through other means, it's impossible to know for certain.
"It's a mystery, and yes, it's gotten a lot of interest," Hunter said.
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