Cougar spotted in Streamwood? Here's why more could be on the way
Residents of a Streamwood neighborhood should be on the lookout for big cats after an animal that appeared to be a cougar was spotted late last month near the Arthur L. Janura Forest Preserve, authorities say.
The animal climbed a large tree at Surrey Woods Park near Sutton Road and Ascot Lane about sunset July 29, a resident told the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Now residents in the surrounding Surrey Woods neighborhood are being told to be on alert.
Without tracks, photos or subsequent sightings, biologists haven't been able to confirm the animal was a cougar. It's the type of encounter that will leave wildlife experts waiting for more reports before confirming the presence of an elusive species in the suburbs.
It's also the type of encounter that could start happening more often.
"I think there's a good possibility that we will see more cougar sightings going forward," said Doug Dufford, the wildlife disease and invasive species program manager at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Although Illinois lags its western neighbors in confirmed sightings - the Mississippi River impedes many of the big cats from migrating into the state - it's only a matter of time before more cougars wander east, experts say. That's because of two factors: cougar family dynamics and territory.
A cougar typically needs about 75 square miles to 100 square miles of territory, and the population in the West is growing to historically high levels.
That doesn't necessarily mean cougars will begin to settle in Illinois, though. Only about 7 percent of the state is suitable for cougars, according to an IDNR study. Most of that area is in the southern and west-central parts of the state.
But when male cougars reach about 2 or 3 years old, mothers with a new litter kick them out of their territory, leaving the sons to venture for new stamping grounds and a mate. That's why male cougars will show up in Illinois, despite its less-than-ideal conditions. Every cougar here that researchers have tested for DNA has been traced to the Black Hills of South Dakota, a minimum 750-mile journey to Illinois.
According to the Cougar Network, a nonprofit research organization, there have been 11 confirmed cougar sightings in Illinois since 1990. By comparison, Missouri has had 71 and Wisconsin reported 46. Wisconsin has had nine in just the past year, according to the Cougar Network database.
In the remote chance you do wander across a cougar while walking the suburbs, here are some tips:
• Do not run. Running can elicit an instinctual response from cougars to chase you down like prey.
• Make lots of noise while standing your ground. Throw rocks or stones if they're nearby.
• Huddle if you're with a group of people, especially if children are present.
• Keep pets safe by not letting them out at night and don't keep food outside. (These are also good tips for preventing problems with coyotes, which are far more common.)
• Always report cougar sightings to police or the IDNR.