For the past couple of weeks, there have been cougar sightings in Chicago's northern suburbs, most recently in Wilmette two days ago, just a few miles away from me. (Wilmette figures into the post above this one.)
A few paw prints were found in the snow back when we still had snow on the ground, so it seemed likely that the cougar was not a feline bigfoot dreamed up by some over-active imaginations.
And now there is proof: Earlier this evening, a 150 pound cougar was sighted on Chicago's North Side in a neighborhood with not a lot of green space.
From the Chicago Tribune, free registration may be required:
Police cornered the cougar in the back yard of Ben Greene, 39, who lives on the 3400 block of North Hoyne. Greene said he heard a volley of gunfire shortly before 6 p.m. as he was bathing his 10-month-old son. His wife, Kate, ran upstairs screaming with their 3-year-old son, and they all took cover in a back room.
"At first I'm thinking there's a gun battle in the street," said Greene, who owns a trucking company.
As the shots stopped Greene heard the police yelling, "We got him! We got him!" Greene ventured downstairs and moved on his knees to the front door, where he saw police on his lawn. The officers had shot holes in an air conditioning unit on the side of Greene's house while aiming for the cougar, which died near Greene's garage.
Belmont District Capt. Mike Ryan said the cougar tried to attack the officers when they tried to contain it.
Photo courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times.
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