About an hour ago (roughly 7:30 in the evening), I was walking in the sculpture park that runs between McCormick Boulevard and the North Shore Channel in Lincolnwood/Skokie. I saw an animal that I can only think was a bobcat. It was about midway between the road and the fence near the channel, and I noticed it only a moment before it ran toward the fence. From its pace (very fast), gait (graceful and feline, not lumbering) and silhouette, I'd say it was definitely not a raccoon, muskrat or beaver, all of which live along the channel. It was also much bigger than a house cat. I know that bobcats eat rabbits, and there are always plenty of those along the channel. How likely is it that this really was a bobcat?

Did you happen to see the animal's tail? A bobcat would be about twice the size of a house cat, but they have relatively short tails. Most are found in southern Illinois but their range has expanded across the state. I would think it unlikely that the animal was a bobcat. But never say never when dealing with wildlife. I will ask an IDNR biologist who works in that area if he thinks it's a possibility and will get back to you.