Why is the cougar or mountain lion not mentioned on this site? I have witnessed them in the wild as well as seen photos taken by deer hunters trail cameras. Is the Department of Conservaton still denying that they exsist in the state?

Thanks for your question. Mountain lions have been found in Illinois, although there are no breeding populations established in the state. You can find more information about mountain lions on this website on the 'Report Unusual Wildlife' page. The 'Report Unusual Wildlife' page also provides a way for people to report sightings of mountain lions (and other rare species) to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.