Roaming Mountain Lion An 'Imminent Threat' To Illinois Residents, Will Go To Sanctuary

SPRINGFIELD, IL — A mountain lion’s journey across the Midwest will end in Center Point, Indiana, after Illinois authorities decided to move the big cat to a sanctuary.

The young male was detected Wednesday morning on the western edge of Springfield, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which tracked and observed the big cat for days before opting to tranquilize and relocate him.

Wildlife and public safety experts determined the mountain lion, who had strayed into residential and business areas of Springfield, posed an "imminent threat" to people and property, according to the department. Staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services tranquilized the animal mid-day Friday to bring him to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, a 260-acre facility in Center Point that offers veterinary care and a permanent home for large and exotic cats.

“I am confident that the mountain lion will be protected and cared for at its new home,” department Director Colleen Callahan said in a news release Friday. “I also want to thank the families of Springfield for being cautious and keeping their distance while our experts worked to ensure the safety of the community and the mountain lion.”

The animal hails from Nebraska, where he was captured and fitted with a GPS collar last fall by the state’s Game and Parks Commission. He traveled across Nebraska — including around the capital city of Lincoln — and through Iowa with no reported human conflicts, then passed into western McDonough County in Illinois and likely Cass County before coming to Springfield.

Mountain lions were eliminated from Illinois more than 150 years ago due to habitat loss and overharvest. Sightings are reported each year, but most turn out to be feral cats or bobcats. Earlier in the month, a mountain lion was hit by a car and killed on Interstate 88 in Kane County, the Daily Herald reported at the time.

The animals have been protected in Illinois since 2015 and it is illegal to hunt, kill or harass them unless they pose an imminent threat to people or property.

To learn more about mountain lions in Illinois, go to https://bit.ly/3f7hxXN.