Apr 13, 2008 7:19 pm US/Central
Cougar Sighting Has Residents Being Cautious
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Wilmette resident Spencer Nelson says he spotted a cougar roaming through his back yard over the weekend.
CBS
A big cat is on the prowl on the North Shore. CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports, residents have seen a cougar and he's one big kitty.
Wilmette resident Spencer Nelson said he was scared out of his mind when he saw the animal roaming through his backyard.
Wilmette Police say he was one of four residents in the North Shore community who spotted the cat. It was late Saturday morning when Nelson stepped into his yard to smoke, only to receive the fright of his life.
He said he saw it move from one area of his property to another, when it saw Nelson. He says the six-foot long cat ran then behind his garage. When it went out of sight, Nelson decided he'd better get out of sight.
"I ran inside and looked out the blinds as he came out from the other side of the garage and ran down the driveway," Nelson recalls.
That's when other residents saw the cat under an evergreen tree. After it realized it had been spotted, the cougar ran across the street.
The cougar was last seen running between two houses, where it leapt over a fence and disappeared.
Gina Eshuis never saw the cat but could hardly believe it ran through her yard.
"Pretty amazing," she said. "We were looking at the roofs, wondering where it might be hiding out."
Gina's daughters were looking too.
"When my dad picked me up, I thought the cougar was under the car…I was just really scared," said third grader LuLu Eshius
But her younger sister Frances says she wasn't frightened. The five-year-old said she wants to see it. She admits she's not scared.
And although Frances isn't scared, police say anyone who spots the cougar shouldn't approach it and should call 911 immediately.
Similar cougar sightings have been reported in Lake County's North Chicago. Wilmette police say they received calls from residents on Sunday claiming they'd spotted an animal thought to be a cougar near a Chicago Transit Authority station.
Officials with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Lake County Forest Preserve are also investigating.
Confirmed cougar sightings are rare in Illinois.
One confirmed cougar was found dead in 2004 near New Boston in northwest Illinois. Another was found in 2000 near Chester, about 60 miles southeast of St. Louis.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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