Heard this on the news last week, saw this post, so googled the story. Chicago police also shot and killed a cougar in Aplir of 2008 that was supposedly someones freed pet.
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/cougar.paw.prints.2.1190022.htmlSep 17, 2009 10:10 am US/Central Suspected Cougar Prints Found In Wheaton
Paw Prints Found In Forest PreserveWHEATON, Ill. (STNG) ― Click to enlarge1 of 1
(File Photo)
AP
Results of an examination were inconclusive, but wildlife experts have determined paw prints found in a west suburban creek bed are consistent with a large cat — possibly a medium-sized cougar, police said Thursday.
Wheaton police evidence technicians successfully lifted paw print impressions from a creek bed where the cat was seen Tuesday, according to police. A resident reported seeing a large, black or dark-colored cat in the area.
The castings were taken to Brookfield Zoo, where several experts examined the castings and photographs of the paw prints. Results of the examination, however, were inconclusive, according to a release from police.
The mammal curator ruled out the print being from a canine or fox, saying it was consistent with a large cat, possibly a medium-sized cougar or other exotic cat, the release said.
Tuesday's sighting followed a report last week by a jogger who said she saw a cat bigger than her 60-pound dog in Northside Park, a quarter-mile away. No prints were found there.
Full-grown cougars, which usually weigh more than 100 pounds, leave much larger prints, possibly 5 to to 6 inches across, said Mike Brown, lead keeper for carnivores at Brookfield Zoo. "These weren't even close," he said. The tracks also appeared to be too shallow, he said. "These prints could have been from almost anything."
Wheaton police continue to patrol the area and residents are reminded to supervise children and pets, and not to leave pet food outside.
The DuPage County Forest Preserve police are patrolling the preserves, including Lincoln Marsh. A motorist also reported seeing a large cat on Monday in a preserve near the Warrenville-Naperville border.
In Michigan, officially according to the DNR there are no cougars. A few years back though they did post cougar warning signs in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and have a cougar safety page on their websight.
http://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/cougarsafety.htmAlso a few years ago there were reported cougar sightings in Southwest Michigan and a horse was killed supposedly by a cougar. The local animal control agency head had the horses body exumed and examined and determined it was killed by a cougar which is at odds with the DNR report of the incident. Shortly after that incident when comming home from work late one night I saw what looked like a dead cougar on the shoulder of the freeway. I was too far past it to stop and look closer. I looked for it the next day and could not find it. In this area they let the roadkill rot on the side of the road, so I thought it was odd that I didn't find anything.
The area where I deer hunt in Michigan's upper pinnsula (UP) is very remote and wild. Opening day a few years ago there had been a light dusting of snow that had collected in a few low spots along the trail and road and much of it was melting. I saw one large cat track in one of these scattered snow pockets. I searched in an expanding circle out from that one trackand could find no others. I don't know if it was a cougar or not, but it was quite large. In that area wher we hunt we have seen wolves, bear, moose, deer, pine martins, eagles and msny other wild critters.
Along another note the bear population has been growing and expanding in Michigan. Bear sightings have steadily been found futher south every year recently, including the area around Jackson, Michigan, which is quite far South. Bears may have been sighted in Allegan County in Southwest Michigan which is getting close to my area.