Have You Seen a Cougar in Northern Illinois?

We now know to call 9-1-1 if you spot a cougar, but then what? After you are done telling your family and friends, is anyone else interested in what you saw? No official Illinois agency is collecting the information including the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Experts maintain that the cougar population isn't increasing and that any cougars in Northern Illinois are either accidental tourists or escaped pets.

Only a few believe that the cougar has returned to Illinois. Illinois Cougar Watch, available at (Illinoiscougarwatch.com) wants your information. They ask you or any person who sees a cougar in Illinois to send an email with details. The address is admin@illinoiscougarwatch.com. Illinois Cougar Watch has a collection of anecdotal cougar sightings in Illinois dating back to 1996, sorted by county, so you can read what others have written, as well learning more about cougars and seeing a couple of stunning videos.

If you are interested in learning more about cougar sightings--limited to wild cougars--which have a scientifically rigorous approach, the Cougar Network is worth a visit.