I totally agree with you that we can coexist with wildlife. But we must also protect public safety. The question I ask myself is, if the mountain lion had been sitting on my property, what action(s) would I have wanted IDNR to take? A mountain lion (or wolf or bear) is a very different animal to manage as compared to a raccoon or a deer. And Illinois, for better or worse, has not had populations of these large predators for a very, very long time. As we start to see these animals move through Illinois looking for new territories, it opens up the opportunity to discuss how we as a state want to handle the management of these species. The mission of the IDNR is: "To manage, conserve and protect Illinois' natural, recreational and cultural resources, further the public's understanding and appreciation of those resources, and promote the education, science and public safety of Illinois' natural resources for present and future generations". This website was created to help fulfill that mission. Illinois residents can help IDNR track mountain lion movements in Illinois by sending in information about possible mountain lion sightings to:
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/wildlife/sightings.cfm I urge people to be as specific as possible about the location. And, if possible to safely get photos of the animal, people can send photos to me at lkammin@illinois.edu. Thank you for posting your comments.
