Cougar shot dead by Illinois conservation officer as it hid under corn crib

  • The cougar was shot dead by two officials, one a conservation officer
  • The second official fired extra rounds into the animal 'to make sure' it died
  • An animal expert has argued it did not need to be killed because it posed no threat to humans

By Ryan Gorman

PUBLISHED: 18:32 EST, 22 November 2013 | UPDATED: 18:34 EST, 22 November 2013

A male cougar found lounging near an Illinois farmhouse was shot dead Wednesday by a conservation officer whose duty it is to protect wildlife.

The officer made a snap decision to kill the big cat after deciding it posed a safety threat to people living in the farmhouse about 130 miles west of Chicago, an assertion contested by a mammal expert at Chicago’s Field Museum.

‘I can’t figure out why this animal had to be shot,’ Bruce Patterson told the Chicago Tribune.

Shot dead: Two officials fired several rounds into this cougar after deciding it posed a threat to the safety of nearby humans

Shot dead: Two officials fired several rounds into this cougar after deciding it posed a threat to the safety of nearby humans

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is now scrambling to explain why the officer put down an animal that may not have posed a threat to humans.

Other options include leaving the 100 pound, six-foot animal alone or even tranquilizing it to allow IDNR officers to relocate it, a spokesperson for the agency told the paper.

The officer did not tranquilize the animal because IDNR cops are not properly trained or equipped, a veterinarian would have had to be called. This was not an option because of the safety risk posed, the agency argued.

‘Public safety is what we’ll make the decision on every time,’ the spokesperson added.

The cougar frightened the home’s residents after it was found hiding in a concrete tunnel under a corn crib – a large building similar to a silo that stores corn.

That the large animal was found there is evidence it was not a threat, it was looking for shelter, Mr Patterson explained before suggesting the animal could have simply been left to its own devices.

Massive: The big weighed over 100 pounds and was about six-feet-long

Massive: The big weighed over 100 pounds and was about six-feet-long

‘It’s possible to manage wildlife while still keeping it around,’ the scientist said.

Authorities were called after locals spotted the beast running through a corn field towards the farmhouse, according to the IDNR.

The animal wasn’t in the open when it was killed, the normally nocturnal animal was hiding under the corn crib. The farmer asked the officer to kill it, according to the agency.

Another official fired multiple additional shots into the animal ‘to make sure’ it died, he told the Sauk Valley Gazette.

 

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‘It was an unfortunate thing,’ soil and water conservation district official David Harrison said after taking the lethal shots.

‘It’s unusual for an animal like that to be around humans,’ he added. ‘They are fairly shy, I don’t know what it was doing in a cornfield.’

Cougars have not been native to the state since 1870, both reports noted, but have been killed three times since 2000 – when one was hit by a train.

The most notable incident was the 2008 killing of a cougar that had found its way into Chicago and was shot trying to attack officers on the city’s affluent north side.

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Many feral animals (including those who walk upright) need to be shot to teach the predators to stay away from the humans.

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Sick and tired of these stories and the gun happy cops.

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A cougar was spotted a couple of nights ago about 20 miles from where I live on a night vision camera. It is scary to think that your pets and children could fall victim to one of these cats. They appears to be increasing in numbers and territory.

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Anywhere cougars roam they present an imminent danger to humans, farm animals, livestock and household pets. They are NOT cute, fuzzy little lap cats-they are stone cold, indiscriminate killers.

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What a terrible decision and such a tragedy. Scared and hiding with nobody or farm animal hurt.

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the same guy soon will be nominated for a health care panel for the Affordable Care Act.

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...I'm sorry..the UK has pretty much eradicated every wild animal it ever had by poaching..and then they tel the US how to handle our wild? we have done more for endangered species HERE and everywhere than any other nation on earth... SO I thnk those in the UK need to research a bit more..same as the idiots in the US who are blathering about things they know nothing about.....

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They couldn't have used a tranquilizer gun?!!

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yes.because every cop has a tranq gun...and better yet ...they know what amount to give to every animal they need to use it for...............GIVE me a break?

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more idiots in law enforcement the could have moved the animal RIP little guy

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So the guy on the scene decided on the spot that the carnivorous predator hiding by someones house was a threat but some other guy who wasn't there says it wasn't necessary - OK. Oh and if you decide to kill the animal does it really matter if you shoot it once or fifty times? People need to grow up.

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You honestly think folks that believe Disney cartoons depict real life will ever grow up....?

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