(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A mountain lion was found dead along Interstate 88 over the weekend after it was fatally struck by a vehicle, Illinois State Police said.
State troopers on Sunday evening responded to a report of a car hitting a deer on I-88 at the border of Kane and DeKalb counties, but police found a different species on the roadway.
It was a cougar, an animal that occasionally is seen in Illinois, even though there are no known populations here.
The people in the car were not hurt, and state workers removed the cougar from the scene.
A picture of the deceased animal was posted online.
A wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources is set to conduct a necropsy and DNA tests, which will tell scientists about its place of origin and movement patterns.
The department is tracking another mountain lion that was seen in the western part of the state this month.
Mountain lions have been protected in Illinois since 2015, meaning it’s illegal to hunt or kill them unless they pose a threat.
Contributing: Sun-Times Media Wire
Related
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!
Sign up and follow WBBM Newsradio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram