CHICAGO (STNG/WBBM) - Police chased a 150-pound cougar through a North Side neighborhood Monday evening before fatally shooting the large cat in a Roscoe Village neighborhood alley.
The animal was shot about 5:30 p.m. in the alley behind the 3400 block of North Hoyne Avenue, according to a Belmont District officer.
The president of the Chicago Humane Society believes the animal did not have to die.
?Sightings were received all day. There was more than enough time to contact the local zoo veterinarians who had all the tranquilizing equipment, knowledge and expertise to handle the situation humanely,? Joan Dahlberg told Newsradio 780.
A Belmont District police captain said at about 11 a.m. a woman in the neighborhood spotted the cat sleeping near a porch and contacted the city?s Department of Animal Care & Control.
Later in the day, after about 5 p.m., police saw the animal.
?Then somebody spotted him on the move and called 911 and police were all over the area. Police themselves then spotted [the cougar] in a yard," the captain said.
?When police spotted him the first time they called it in, they were closing in, he went down a gangway,?? the captain said.
Police, using megaphones and speakers in the squad cars informed neighbors to stay inside their homes.
Authorities say the animal's body will be checked for any markings, chips or tags that would show if it is owned by anyone.
A neighbor told Newsradio 780 she saw the Cougar running down the street, through another neighbor's property and then into an alley -- where she says police shot at the Cougar a number of times.
Police fired shots, hitting the animal, which then ?leaped over? a six-foot fence and started running away again, according to the captain. ?He continued his flight,?? the captain said.
Police then fired more shots at the animal, killing it, according to the captain, who said a total of four officers fired shots at the animal.
No one was injured during the shooting, according to the captain.
Nicholas Gardner a security officer working at Animal Care & Control said he thought the animal was a male.
?It?s big, but I?ve seen bigger cougars,?? Gardner said.
Police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli said district police chased the animal through the neighborhood.
Police were attempting to corner the animal so that Animal Care & Control could catch it.
?Shots had to be fired,? Mirabelli said. The officer did not know whether the animal attempted to attack an officer.
The cougar may be the same animal spotted in several northern suburbs in the past month, however experts say they do not believe it was the same cat killed Monday evening.
There are no established cougar populations east of the Mississippi River.
According to Wilmette police, an animal believed to be a cougar was spotted in the 300 block of 3rd Street near the CTA?s Purple Line Linden Avenue station on Sunday.
Officers searched the area, but were unable to locate the animal. The reports are similar to recent possible cougar sightings in North Chicago, where paw prints were found.
North Chicago police had teamed with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Lake County Forest Preserve officers to track and apprehend the animal.
Confirmed cougar sightings are rare in Illinois.
One confirmed cougar was found dead in 2004 near New Boston in northwest Illinois. Another was found in 2000 near Chester, about 60 miles southeast of St. Louis.
Last week, officials in Lake County asked for the public's help in locating a large cat or debunking recent reports by people who believed they say they saw a cougar-like feline.
According to the health department there have been sightings in North Chicago and Round Lake Park. Authorities say so far they have no physical evidence of a large cat, and are preparing to take castings of paw prints to determine what has may be wandering around in Lake County.
The Department is also encouraging residents to take digital photos or video of the animal and its tracks if they are at a safe distance and location from the animal.
Place something such as a tape measure on the ground near the track and include in the photo to assist with determining the size of the track. Also record the time and exact location of the observation. Digital photos can be emailed to:
madam@co.lake.il.us.
In the meantime, health officials are asking people who see a large cat to keep their distance, but if possible take digital photos or video of the animal and its tracks, then report it to local police.
Following is information to help residents distinguish between cougars, bobcats and coyotes:
Cougars are long, slender cats with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. Their body length is 3 - 4 feet and they have a tail of 2.5 - 3 feet in length. Their color is light, tawny brown, which can be perceived as gray or darker depending on light conditions. Males can weigh 115 to 160 pounds, females slightly less. They are primarily active at dawn and dusk, but can be active at any time of the day or night.
Bobcats range in length from 30 to 50 inches, stand about 2 feet high and weigh between 15 and 30 pounds. Their fur is reddish-brown above and whitish below, and black spots or streaks are throughout the coat. They have a stubby tail that is only four or five inches long. They have tufts of hair in their ears that make their ears look pointed and sometimes a white spot on the back of the ear.
The coyote is a member of the dog family. It is the size and shape of a medium-sized collie dog, but its tail is round and bushy and is carried straight out below the level of its back. It weighs between 15 to 45 pounds, with a shoulder height of 15 to 20 inches.
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