CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — For the past month, WBBM has been running an end-of-summer challenge to determine Chicagoland’s favorite animal from the summer of 2023. We finally have a winner: Imani the piping plover.
Four years after piping plovers Monty and Rose became the first plovers in 70 years to nest in Chicago, one of their offspring — Imani — returned to Montrose Beach in April. Imani immediately drew dozens of bird watchers out to the North Side beach.
Over the last 30 days, fans of Imani — and the other piping plovers who have shown up on Chicago’s lakefront — have come out in force for the tiny bird. The plovers had a dominant run to the championship, including an upset of Chonkosaurus, the massive snapping turtle that emerged on the Chicago River in May.
The Chicagoland Creature Championship
Below, you can find the report for each animal included in this year’s tournament. Thanks to all who cast a vote in the tournament, and congratulations to the piping plovers.
No. 1 seed: ‘Chonkosaurus’ turtle shocks Chicago River kayakers
Experts believe the ginormous turtle known as “Chonkosaurus” has been around since the Nixon era, but it wasn’t until May that Chonkosaurus made national headlines. It happened after Chicago podcasters Joey Santore and Al Scorch went viral with a video showing their surprise encounter with the turtle, who appeared to be sunbathing on a pile of rusty chains.
Santore told WBBM days after their trip that he was still trying to wrap his head around the size of the turtle. He wasn’t alone. Not since the Humboldt Park gator has a Chicago animal captured the attention of so many.
Check out WBBM’s coverage about Chonkosaurus right here.
No. 2 seed: Cow runs wild in quiet Niles neighborhood
WBBM’s Roger Plummer said he was tired when he returned to his Niles home at 5:45 a.m. following an overnight anchor shift in late April. Then, he wondered if he was dreaming.
Galloping down his sleepy street was an adult cow, with about a dozen teenagers running after it. Plummer had his phone ready and managed to video the encounter, and in a matter of hours, the Chicago area was put on “cow-watch.”
It turned out that the cow escaped during a senior prank at nearby Northridge Preparatory School. Fortunately, the cow — who’s since been named “Blossom” — found its way to a nice home at the Hooved Animal Humane Society in Woodstock.
Read our report on Blossom’s escape here.
No. 3 seed: Family of foxes move into Millennium Park garden
Millennium Park’s Lurie Garden had some new residents that drew attention: a family of foxes. Although staff members knew of one fox that liked to wander around the area over the past few years, this May they discovered a den with six young fox kits.
The adorable kits were spotted by many over the ensuing weeks as they played in the garden. Kathryn Deery, the head horticulturist at Lurie Garden, told WBBM that the foxes indicated a healthy ecosystem in downtown Chicago. Not bad for a concrete jungle.
See more photos of the adorable fox family here.
No. 4 seed: Plover-mania returns to Chicago
Four years after piping plovers Monty and Rose became the first plovers in 70 years to nest in Chicago, one of their offspring — Imani — returned to Montrose Beach in April. Imani immediately drew dozens of bird watchers out to the North Side beach.
Although many had hoped Imani would find a mate in his return to Montrose, the plover seemed to enjoy his bachelor life for much of the summer. In July, the Chicago Park District released three more piping plovers to the beach to join Imani.
Here’s the latest on Imani and the other piping plovers currently calling Chicago home.
No. 5 seed: Peregrine falcon parents attack Loop pedestrians
Some protective peregrine falcon parents made their presence known this summer in a series of attacks along the Chicago River. The targets: Several people wearing baseball caps and passersby who ventured too close to the falcons’ nest.
One of the attacks happened at the South Branch Tavern and Grille, which sits under the building at 100 S. Wacker Drive.. An employee told WBBM that a customer — wearing a baseball cap — nearly lost his hat after one of the falcons dived down at them.
Read our story about the falcon attacks here.
No. 6 seed: Rare black bear roams Lake County
The Chicago Bears aren’t the only ones considering a move to the suburbs. Multiple black bear sightings have been reported in Lake County over the past few months, including one outside of a Gurnee daycare center and another on someone’s back porch in unincorporated Antioch.
“Do not approach the bear,” wrote Lake County sheriff’s officials in what might have been the most obvious public service announcement of the year.
Wildlife Illinois said there are currently no resident populations of black bears in Illinois. Maybe that will change.
Find more about the Lake County bear sightings here.
No. 7 seed: Trio of lion cubs born at Lincoln Park Zoo
It didn’t get much cuter than the trio of male lion cubs who were born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in early 2023. Although the lions were born in January, they weren’t ready to be seen by the public until April. Their names: Pesho, Sidai and Lomelok
The recent births were the second in as many years, after a lion cub was born to 3-year-old Zari and 4-year-old Jabari in 2022. Prior to that, the Lincoln Park Zoo had zero lion cub births for 20 years.
Watch the lion cubs make their Lincoln Park Zoo public debut here.
No. 8 seed: Potbellied pigs evade capture for weeks in Grundy County
Two potbellied pigs were wandering around Grundy County for a little over a month earlier this year. Although officials with the Chicagoland Pig Rescue (CPR) said they were likely abandoned by their owners in Mazon, the pigs managed to survive and actually grew to be pretty large.
Despite being afraid and “desperate for help,” CPR officials said the pigs were quite elusive. A combination of rescue workers and Grundy County residents managed to rescue the pigs, who were taken to the Hooved Animal Rescue and Protection Agency.
Read all about the rescue efforts here.
Related
Related
Listen to our new podcast Looped In: Chicago
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!