Possible Cougar Sighting In Forest Preserve Under Investigation

GLENDALE HEIGHTS, IL — A cougar sighting was reported Friday in DuPage County's East Branch Forest Preserve in Glendale Heights. State conservation officials investigated the unconfirmed reports, according to the forest preserve.

On Friday morning a visitor notified the Forest Preserve District of a possible cougar sighting on the west side of the preserve. A Forest Preserve District police officer who responded to the call also reported seeing an animal that looked like a cougar, the preserve said in a release. Officials from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Forest Preserve District who arrived shortly afterward were unable to confirm the sighting. The district is placing trail cameras at the preserve.

The preserve, including its off-leash dog area, will remain open. As a precaution, the Forest Preserve District has posted signs at the preserve and notified off-leash dog permit holders of the unconfirmed sightings.

“If it was a cougar, it is highly likely it was a young adult searching for a mate or suitable habitat and was just passing through,” District ecologist Brian Kraskiewisz said in a release. “Many wildlife species move through the landscape using passageways such as river corridors and railroad tracks, both of which are present at East Branch.”

According to the preserve, a cougar weighs between 70 and 240 pounds and has a tan or tawny coat with a white or cream-colored chin and similarly colored undersides and insides of legs. The backs of its rounded ears are solid black to dark gray. Its thick black-tipped tail can be as long as half its total body length.

By 1870 cougars were nonexistent in Illinois. In recent years only a handful of transient lone animals have been found in the state. Cougars are a protected species in Illinois.

Hikers Film Confrontation With Cougar: Here's What To Do If You See One

Forest preserve visitors who think they see a cougar should not approach it. They should keep pets near them as they slowly leave the area, and report sightings to the IDNR at 847-608-3100. For preserve safety concerns, contact the Forest Preserve District police at 630-933-7240.

Photo by Neil McIntosh via Flickr Commons