A mountain lion was hit and killed Sunday by a vehicle traveling along Interstate 88 in DeKalb County, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said.
Following the collision, Illinois State Police troopers transferred the animal to an IDNR wildlife biologist, and it has since been delivered to the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana where a complete necropsy and DNA analysis will take place, according to an IDNR news release.
Although it's not completely certain, the mountain lion is believed to be the same animal captured on a trail camera on private property September in Whiteside County and later confirmed by biologists from the IDNR and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The animal was discovered wearing a GPS collar that was originally attached in Nov. 2021 by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and both agencies in Nebraska and Illinois had recently been in coordination as the animal traveled eastward from Iowa to Illinois.
While mountain lions are extremely rare in Illinois, sightings have been confirmed during the past few decades, usually involving younger animals that originated from the Black Hills of South Dakota, officials said. Mountain lions were eliminated from Illinois prior to the 1870s due to overharvest and habitat loss.
Since 2015, mountain lions have been protected in Illinois, and it currently remains unlawful to hunt, kill or harass the animals unless they pose an imminent threat to a person or property.
According to the IDNR, it is "very rare" for a mountain lion to pose a threat to people or property. But if you do happen to encounter one, and the animal doesn't go away immediately, you should stand tall, wave your arms and throw stones or other objects. Slowly back away from the site, and don't run, while also keeping an eye on the animal, the agency advised.
Sightings of mountain lions and other large carnivores can be reported here.
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