In late February I mentioned the fact that an honest-to-goodness mountain lion (a.k.a. cougar) was spotted not far from where we live. In the past few weeks there have been more sightings in the surrounding area. I’m not positive they involve the same animal but it seems quite likely to me.

So it was with quite a bit of shock and sadness that I read this morning about a cougar being shot on the North Side of Chicago by police officers who had cornered it in an alley. Shock, because somehow it is a REALLY BIG DEAL that a beautiful, large wild animal (all of about 150 lbs.) could survive and wander around in such an urban area. Sadness, because it was killed. Of course I know that such an animal can be dangerous and I would not have wanted anyone to be hurt by it. Somehow though that doesn’t lessen the sense of loss I now feel.

It’s interesting to note that the last sighting of a cougar in the wild in the whole state of Illinois was all the way back in 1864, in the southern tip of the state.