CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
Police are advising residents of a possible, though unconfirmed, sighting of a cougar in the northern suburbs on Labor Day, at least the third such sighting in the Winnetka/Glencoe this year.
About 8:30 p.m. Monday, Winnetka police received a report of an animal along the 1300 block of Willow Road near the Village Public Works Facility.
The detailed description provided of the animal warranted additional investigation, police said.
A police source confirmed a family driving eastbound on Willow Road saw an animal that "didn't fit the description of a fox or a coyote." The family drove by again and the animal ran into the woods near the building.
Police consulted with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and called a wildlife expert to determine the type of animal.
Nearby restaurateur Grant Deporter often sees wild animals like deer foraging for food or a fox in his front yard, but now, he's on the lookout for the cougar.
"I've heard people talking about sightings years ago. I always look and wonder if there is a cougar out there," Grant said.
Katie Sweeney, who works with animal control for the Glencoe Public Safety Department, said the last confirmed cougar sighting in the area was in 2008, when one was killed in Chicago.
"They did DNA analysis on that male cougar and found out he was indeed from South Dakota," Sweeney said. "South Dakota is overpopulated with cougars right now."
Sweeney said males compete for territorial dominance with other cougars in the wild and sometimes younger males find it easier to head to a new area.
"They do follow rivers and waterways, and come through the Midwest," Sweeney said, adding DNA evidence once linked a cougar killed by a car in Connecticut to South Dakota.
"Their main food source are deer, which are plentiful here," she said. "They love waterways, which we have a lot of. I don't think they would set up habitat here, but there is enough to keep them interested and satisfied. They typically don't like to be around a densely populated area."
The two previous area sightings this year were in Glencoe. Both were of a large cat-type animal near Lake Michigan, according to the village of Glencoe.
The first sighting occurred on the morning of April 15 on the bluff below the Hazel Avenue overlook, a release from the village said. A resident on a morning walk observed a large cat, which had been lying down, but rose to its feet and disappeared into the heavy brush.
The second sighting occurred on the evening of July 26, when a Glencoe Public Safety employee saw a large cat cross the street at Dell Place and Lakeside Terrace, and walk down toward the lake.
Sweeney advises residents to keep their pets indoors or on a leash, and not to leave food sources out for wild animals. If you were to encounter a cougar, she said to stand still and yell, which should scare the animal away.
Deterrents include dogs, music, and bright, flashing lights.
"They are very evasive and silent," Sweeney said. "The chances of seeing them are very slim. We have no confirmed cougars in our area by footprinting or photographs."
When Glencoe officials discussed the sightings with the Cook County Forest Preserve District, they were informed that the District had received two unconfirmed sightings in the Skokie Lagoon area earlier in July.
Police want residents to be aware of these sightings and to call 911 immediately if they think they see a cougar. Officials are also urging residents to keep their pets on a leash.
The Chicago Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
