Just two years ago, we were alerting you to a rogue black bear going on a journey through Illinois. Now, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is letting us all know that there is a young, male mountain lion making his way through Central Illinois. He was first identified in Nebraska, and has been spotted in McDonough and Cass Counties. Those counties are on the western edge of Central Illinois, but according to the IDNR, “these animals can cover great distances. The mountain lion traveled all the way through Nebraska and Iowa without incident. It’s hard telling how far he will continue to travel if we here in Illinois leave him alone.”
The key words there are “leave him alone.” Mountain lions are a protected species in this state, so it is illegal to hunt, harass, or kill them unless they are an immediate threat, which is not likely to happen.
If you see a mountain lion, and it doesn’t move away from you, they advise NOT to run. Instead, “stand tall, wave your arms, throw stones or other objects, and yell…slowly back away from the location, keeping an eye on the animal.”
Top image from IDNR Facebook page.