More on the Chicago cougar shooting

The cougar shot and killed by police on Chicago's trendy North Side earlier this week might have been one of a growing number of young male cougars striking out from the Black Hills of South Dakota in search of new territory. The Washington Post reports:

"Government protections on cougars (also called mountain lions and panthers) in the Upper Plains states have caused once-threatened populations to rebound to the point of saturation, forcing more of the big cats to migrate far afield."

In the meantime, the shooting has riled readers of L.A. Unleashed, who continue to snipe at one another. What follows are a few examples of the exchange.

"I am totally disgusted by Chicago Police and will report them to PETA for their horrible attack on an innocent animal.  Do they not know what a tranquilizer gun is????? I cried at the injustice for this poor animal lost in a concrete jungle. I hope those officers can sleep safe in knowing that they were only protecting themselves and their pride while they could have waited for animal services to take the animal back to its natural habitat. Foul and cowardices. And may I say stupidity."  -- Animal Rights

On the other hand....

"I'm cracking up reading all the comments about the 'beautiful innocent animal' ...what a bunch of whiney hippies. It's a dangerous predator. It could have killed any of those officers easily, not to mention any children who it might have happened upon. Beautiful innocent children. What is this country coming to when the life of an animal is given higher value that the life of a human??"  -- Wyzbok

Read more at L.A. Unleashed.

--Alice Short

Photo: Chicago Tribune

Comments

[Barrett Bourne]

This event could be representative of the "urban sprawl" phenomena: the more humans encroach on wilderness, the more wild species encroach on humans. It is an aspect of evolution called adaptation. Or, it could just be a "pet" that risked freedom over oppression. Unfortunately, (for the cougar) the wrong state authorities were called in to handle the situation; Illinois Fish & Game department should have been utilized. After all they are trained professionals when it comes to wildlife conflicts...funny how the trigger happy cops that had no knowledge of the situation at hand were the shot callers, so to speak. The probability of some one getting mauled was EXTREMELY slim; that lion wanted out, no question. Let’s leave it to history...how many documented cougar attacks (wild) have occurred in Chicago in the last 100 years...NONE. So why now? Just because a cougar is spotted does not mean that is going to kill someone, c'mon people...education, not ignorance. The death is unfortunate.

[elizabeth]

Um, I looked up cougar safety on the internet. Nowhere does it say that cougars are not a threat. It says don't run, make yourself big, be aggressive, throw things at it and fight back. How long were the police supposed to wait with a cougar (somewhere between 5 and 8 feet long) while the animal control people showed up? Yes, cougars are endangered, but this wasn't some hunters yelling "It's coming right for us!" South park style, this was an officer protecting and serving the people of the city of Chicago. Roscoe village is a dense highly residential section of the city. If they had not shot it and had waited and someone child was mauled by the cougar, what then? the website I read said to keep your children close, for they have a tendency to act like a cougars prey and running incites an attacking instinct in the animal. What do you think a 6 year old is going to do if it sees an 8 foot long cat?

[Mike]

Resonding to some earlier comments....

First of all, Chicago cops aren't that trigger happy...they much prefer to use their batons (that's a joke, by the way). Second, this isn't "urban sprawl"...that neighborhood is over 100 yrs old (I live near there)...no real widlife in that area since before the Taft administration. Third, Illinois wildlife authorities are generally prepared to respond to emergencies in the inner city (the reason they are not should be obvious).

The technical details are numerous, but the cops acted in the best interest of the citizens.

[jimbo]

I think most of the people who are crying that the police should have waited for animal control are failing to realize two things:
1) The area where the cougar was shot was deep in the city of Chicago (which some people may not realize is the 3rd largest city in the US), and was in a concrete neighborhood full of people and their children.
2) The cougar wasn't sleeping, or playing chess, or otherwise immobile. It was running through the city streets. It wasn't going to sit still while the police waited 20 minutes for people with tranq guns to show up.
The police absolutely did the right thing.

[ChicagoMama]

This is an inner city neighborhood. Trendy but densely populated, only about 2.5 to 3 miles north of the highrises and pretty far away from the river or large forest preserve -- certainly no wide open spaces. Inf fact, there's not even a city park near the exact spot. It's a maze of streets and alleys. with postage stamp backyards fenced off from each other.

Just what you want in a tiny fenced in city lot w/your kids -- a 6 ft., 100+ pound predatory cat whose instincts are triggered by small animals (or humans) running away.

Also, this happened at 5pm, on one of the first warm, dry days of spring after a very wet and cold early Spring. Sidewalks were jammed with commutersalong with side streets and backyards filled with children playing.

In other words -- there was no place to escape to in that moment.

[Mark from Chicago]

OK,

So next time our Chicago police officers find another cougar within our city limits, they'll catch it. ...BUT... please do drop them a line ahead of time to tell them where you would like them to ship it for a live re-release in LA.

Besides, we've got our hands full with the Cubs.

Thanks

[Chris Cohoon]

They are just keeping with police policy. Shoot first, ask questions later. Just ask other animals in the urban jungle.

[Brian Donohoe]

There is no reason to think a cougar wouldn't attack. Chicagoans aren't used to cougars roaming the streets just as they're not used to elephants and polar bears. It's not like we're celebrating the death of this animal and of course it's unfortunate, but I'd much rather see the cougar dead than a five year old getting an arm ripped off. As much as a surpise to PETA as it may be, Chicago Cops don't drive around with cougar rescue kits in their trunks. If a deadly animal is within reach of harming a living person, they should not wait around for animal control to show up while the animal leaps into a sandbox with a child in it. The CPD acted accordingly. Let's be careful on who we're calling ignorant.

[Bailey from Braceville, IL]

i believe that this cat should NOT have been shot. the police KNEW what they were hunting for... did nobody think to call animal control or bring a tranquilizer gun of their own?? this cat simply wandered too far from safety. should the animal be punished because WE are building more business and destroying their habitat? we have so many criminals on the street who are actually KILLING people, robbing people, selling illegal substances.... but if the chicago p.d. shot any of them without a trial, all hell would break loose. there would be outrage! what is different?? is it worse for an animal to wander too far than it is for a human being to kill another? I think the police overreacted, they could've kept the cat in one area until a tranq. gun was available...
Now they are using a helicopter to find the other cougar that has been spotted in a FOREST PRESERVE.. if it was spotted in the preserve... why look for it? aren't forest preserves for the PROTECTION of animals?? maybe i inferred wrongly... hmm...

[Jill]

Regarding tranquilizer guns, it is my understanding that it takes a tranquilizer dart 15 to 30 minutes to take down an animal the size of a cougar. So, for that time, you will have a hurt, angry cougar running around. It is not like on "Wild Kingdom," where you see the dart go in and then the animal immediately passes out.

[Laura McCann]

I am upset by the shooting of this big cat by the Chicago Police and more so by other comments on the dangers of this animal and how it should have been shot. Watching the news that nigth and the story of this animal, the first footage shows this animal walking behind a person as if to get away. How much more insensitive do we have to get towards animals and other human beings...not even to try to help. Yes...how many of us really try to help animals, other people and our planet...even in the smallest of ways. This story told how the police contacted the zoo to see if all animals were accounted for, but they could not have thought to bring a traquilzer gun. My frustrations is because I saw NO attenpt to even try to save the animal. And to justify the shooting by using self defense that the animal charged...well ,when many officers charged, and corned this animals...did the officers expect it to sit on command like a house pet. I have heard of no comments by any one that this animal had tried to hurt anyone in its 1000 mile wrong way tract that ended to tragedy for the animal and disgust for the Chicago Police...big brave hunters. Just an FYI...I worked in our local justice system with Police. I now live in the country and support our local Sheriffs and Policed department. They do a job where they are damned if they do or damned of they dont when dealing with criminals. I understand! What I still do not understand is this tragedy...from the Chicago Police department...the big game hunters....came rushing in with pistols drawn and big game hunting expressions on their faces.

[Mike]

This situation was beyond mishandled. What happened was these agencies responsible for handling this situation were out of their minds and lacked control.

[russell]

Absolutely amazing. Just as miraculous as the Second Coming, and they shoot the darn thing! How very sad.

[Jonathan Quist]

Keep in mind that the Chicago Police Department has over 3000 patrol vehicles, and over 13,000 sworn police officers.

It is a tragedy that such a beautiful animal was lost, but can anyone screaming about the CPD please explain how the department could reasonably have equipped each of those 3000 vehicles with tranquilizer guns and provided each of those 13,000 officers with adequate veterinary training to allow them to determine the correct dosage to disable without harming an animal that nobody expected to find in an urban environment, miles from anything resembling its natural habitat?

When you have figured that out, please post a notice for the fund-raising event you organize to pay for that program, and I'll cut you a check. But we're still trying to figure out how to pay for enough police to provide a presence in our schools and neighborhoods, teachers to staff the schools, and more depth in the Cubs' bullpen.

[Chris]

Tragic, I was wondering if the animal services were called upon in this situation. Having a read around at the time the animal was of no threat.

I guess in the USA where trigger happy people live its a way of life whilst where I live in South Africa we treasure our wild life sadly though we too have problems with idiot USA Citizens and Europeans comming to S Africa to kill lions for the sake of a trophy and a picture, I would love to say when will we ever learn to live with nature but its beyond that.
Bare in mind we used until not so long ago
For those that support what happened are mere whimps who have never ever known anything else than lots of concrete, do abit of travelling and you will soon realise how important wildlife really is

[ruth]

Well in my opinion i think that "Wyzbok" is right the officers didn't had any other choice but to just shoot because how where they going to defend themeselves??? Or what about if the animal would've run-off then that would be even more dangerous for everybody, and it's true, How would you risk the life of your child your brother your sister, or any of your relatives for just an animal????? Please people think about that!!!!!

[ekaterina]

the american solution to EVERYTHING...a gun!