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UPDATE: Possible Cougar Sightings in the Glencoe Area
The Glencoe Public Safety Department has received reports of a large cat-type animal resembling a cougar near the Lake Michigan bluff/shoreline.
The first sighting occurred on the morning of April 15 on the bluff below the Hazel Avenue overlook. A resident on an early 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. A Public Safety employee witnessed a large cat cross the street at Dell & Lakeside and walk down towards the lake. The employee described the cat as resembling a cougar.
The most recent reported Glencoe sighting was received on August 25, 2012. A housekeeper, in the 200 block of Lincoln Drive, reported seeing a tan cat-like animal sitting on a tree branch approximately 30 feet above the ground, in the early morning hours.
The Public Safety Officers made efforts to investigate each sighting, but were unable to locate tracks or other hard evidence of the animal. Contact was made with the Cook County Forest Preserve District, which received two unconfirmed cougar sightings in the Skokie Lagoon area over the past two weeks. A wildlife biologist from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources informed us they have had no confirmed sightings in our area.
The most recent North Shore area sighting occured on Monday September 3, 2012 at approximately 8:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of Willow Road, adjacent to the Winnetka Public Works facility. The Villages of Winnetka and Glencoe have engaged a wildlife expert to further investigate this sighting in relation to the other reported sightings in Glencoe and other immediate areas.
The DNR advises there are no sustained populations of cougars in Illinois; however, young cougars have been known to pass through the Midwest after being pushed out of their original range in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Those that appear are transient and searching for a new home range. These animals generally avoid populated areas and may be here looking for food. Deer are their main prey in the Midwest.
Deterrents for these animals include dogs, bright lights, flashing white lights, and music. Residents are encouraged to use caution and asked to report sightings of suspicious animals immediately. Deer carcasses should also be reported to the Public Safety Department.
Contact Community Service Officer, Katie Sweeney, at (847) 835-4112 for additional information.