Cougar killed in chicago suburb

[Thruster]

"Weird how some people think that everything around the small portion that is designated as Chicago think it's all the same city."

Just a note.

The animal was shot in a neighborhood called Roscoe Village. It's definitely IN Chicago. Belmont and Western. Odd that it would even bother to roam over that way. It was a large cat so apparently it's survival instinct was well developed. But to get that far into the city proper even assuming it followed the north branch down from Wilmette just seems questionable.

I wonder if there's more to this story.

[kotrenin]

My wife still refers to "down town" and Lincoln park as "the city",  she's only been living here for about 10 years.

wwric, call 588-1111 and give them 20 bucks, they'll send you a map of Chicago by neighborhood.   Many of the neighborhoods started out as separate townships years ago and were annexed by Chicago.

[ROX]

They think it's the same cougar that has been snooping around Lake County.  My sister lives in rural Gurnee and had noticed the deer that used to come right up to their back fence had been scarce this year.

ROX

[AWMac]

What's the bag limits on Cougars in Chicago?

[Kanth]

He probably finally managed to escape out of someone's basement.

[AquaShrimp]

North America used to be a wildlife bonanza much as Africa is (or was). People should be thrilled to see such a powerful native cat such as the cougar.  They are so extremely rare, and even in areas where they do live, they exist at such low population densities that you will never see one.

[Jackal1]

  They are so extremely rare, and even in areas where they do live, they exist at such low population densities that you will never see one.

That`s strange. I`ve seen quite a few of them.
They are not that rare.

[C(Sea)Bass]

I thought it was the Carolina Panthers? 

actually ther is the Florida Panthers NHL team. They are just as bad as the NFL's panthers

[AquaShrimp]

That`s strange. I`ve seen quite a few of them.
They are not that rare.

You have seen quite a few of them?  I think you are misidentifying bobcats or lynxs.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) currently lists the cougar as a "near threatened" species.

The cougar's total breeding population is estimated at less than 50,000 by the IUCN, with a declining trend.

Canadian Geographic reports large male territories of 150 to 1000 square kilometers (58 to 386 sq mi) with female ranges half the size.  Male ranges may include or overlap with those of females but, at least where studied, not with those of other males, which serves to reduce conflict between cougars. Ranges of females may overlap slightly with each other.

[Jebus]

Cops actually shot the cougar between 7 to 18 times (reports say).  A total of 30 rounds were fired. 

Now either that cougar was shifty or the Chicago Cops need some range time!

[Slash27]

On the subject of big cats (you Texans will love this), a group of biologists is tracking a population of Jaguars in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. If cougars are bad, then Jaguars are Chuck Norris.

My grabdfather remebers when they had Mountain Lions in New Hampshire when he was a kid. They used to pay people for the hides they brought in. They eventually wiped out all the animals east of the rockies.

Cougar sightings are not that rare in my neck of the woods. I've seen cougars more than bobcats actually.

[C(Sea)Bass]

If anyone here watches the history channel show "Monster Quest" they did an episode on big cats in North America, primarily focusing on the extremely rare black cougars. Some guy sent in a video that they proved was a very large black cat in Maryland.

[lasersailor184]

If anyone here watches the history channel show "Monster Quest" they did an episode on big cats in North America, primarily focusing on the extremely rare black cougars. Some guy sent in a video that they proved was a very large black cat in Maryland.

I did see that.  Didn't they pretty much show that all black cougars were actually black feral cats given the scalings and points of reference?

[Slash27]

The last video of the show had a large black cat near a tree line. It was suggested to be a young "black panther" possibly. But yeah, some of the pictures they had turned out to be a black house cat walking across a yard and what have you.

[FX1]

In my neighborhood, we don't kill the cougars.  We let them buy us drinks.

LOL