An Illinois Department of Natural Resources conservation officer shot and killed a cougar Wednesday on a farm near Morrison in rural Whiteside County, according to a news release issued by the department on Thursday.
Wildlife biologists will examine the remains of the cougar to learn more about the animalās recent history and origin.
A Whiteside County farmer called the DNR Wednesday, reporting that a large cat was spotted leaving a cornfield and running toward the farmer's home and outbuildings. When the conservation police officer got to the farm, he checked a horse barn and lot and discovered the cougar in a concrete tunnel beneath a corn crib.