Apr 16, 2008 10:28 pm US/Central
Search Called Off For Cougar Seen On North Shore
WINNETKA, Ill. (CBS) ―
There's concern Wednesday that a wild cougar is on the loose in the North Shore, just days after police shot and killed one on Chicago's North Side.
CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports some Wilmette residents are afraid they're going to come across a very big cat.
Crews searched the Skokie Lagoon by ground and by air for a second straight day Wednesday, looking for any signs of a large cat roaming the North Shore.
Cook County Forest Preserve Police confirmed cougar sightings were reported Tuesday near Lake Cook Road in the Chicago Botanic Gardens, where some employees are now on edge.
"When I'm getting off the bus or getting off the train I watch my back, look around. It's kind of scary," said Botanic Gardens employee Tehavas Burnett.
Monday night a cougar was spotted about four miles away, on the south end of the Erickson Woods on Willow Road. A police officer was among many witnesses who reported seeing a cougar chasing two deer.
Both incidents occurred after Chicago police gunned down a wild cougar in a Roscoe Village alley.
"I think people should really take into consideration these animals are really scared," said one area resident.
The cougar sightings didn't seem to keep people away from the forest preserve Wednesday.
"I'm not very worried about it," said another man. "There's a lot of people out."
Cook County Forest Preserve Police officially called off the search late Wednesday afternoon. They said given the fact that cougars travel up to 40 miles per day, any cougar was probably long gone.
If you see a cougar, don't run, even if that's your instinct. Animal control workers say you should stand still and simply try to back away as slowly as possible.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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