This photo of a mountain lion or cougar is in the public domain.
Reports from several residents, along with what appear to be some attacked chickens, have triggered a search for a cougar in Western Kenosha County, said Sgt. Dan Ruth, Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department spokesman.
An automated emergency call was put out about cougar sightings Tuesday to phone numbers in a three-mile radius from the 35500 block of 52nd Street in Wheatland, Ruth said. That location is where some chickens appeared to have been attacked by a predator in recent days.
Tuesday, several residents reported seeing the animal, believed to have been moving in a southeast direction from that approximate location, which prompted the call, Ruth said.
Cougars are not considered residents of Wisconsin, but Ruth did not discount the possibility of a sighting.
“It is not unheard of,” Ruth said of a cougar sighting in the region. “It’s totally within the realm of possibility.”
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is also looking for the animal, Ruth said.
Until the animal is found or appears to have moved out of the area, Ruth advised people to be extra aware of their surroundings and any pets that might be in their yards.
“It’s a wild animal,” Ruth said. “It could be dangerous.”
Ruth asked people who think they have seen the animals to report it to the Sheriff’s Department (262) 605-5100 or DNR.
What happens if they try to attack you? What do you do?
I seen this cat on May 18th. I was getting off the freeway at highway C. He caught a bird in mid flight. Scarey!
Yes, I do believe I saw that cat Tuesday as well near 4500 block of 376th Ave heading north. Reported sighting today to KCSD.
Hope they are not going to kill it. Should be long gone by now I hope.
I think I seen it in camp lake on Monday
If I had a dime for every time I saw a cougar in Wheatland. I would have 0 dimes.
It’s not the first time. There was one a few years back. Plus it’s been documented that a cougar that was tagged in Colorado with a GPS tracker traveled from Colorado to upstate New York and passed right through the Kenosha county area. Was seen by numerous people and made the local news. Sad thing is there could very well be a Mountain Lion population right here in Wisconsin and not know it because Mountain Lions are very elusive and can hide right under our nose and we would never know. Most people who have lived in the most popululated Mountain Lion areas of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Montana have lived there whole lives there amongst the high population Mountain Lion areas have never even seen a Mountain Lion.
My dad & stepmom caught a cougar/mountain lion on their surveillance video 3 yrs ago when it was very young. It was at the bird feeders ouside their patio in Oak Creek. She was also spotted by numerous residents in different areas around OC. She came back last year, they didn’t videotape it but saw her; grew bigger by then. Again spotted in other OC areas.
Haven’t seen her this year yet. But if she was around as a young baby, there’s a mama and dad somewhere, too. Don’t be so fast to dismiss sightings as a joke or stupid. We gave encroached upon their territory and taken their woods & fields away to build subdivisions and condos, etc. We have a booming population of red foxes and coyotes here.
I hope that there is a relocation effort if they indeed found to be inhabiting this area. It would such a shame to harm such a majestic creature.
There are cougars here not sure why the DNR can not confirm this. I have audio recording of one that was in the Lake George area last year. We have pictures of its track in the area it was seen pacing. I think we all just need to realize that they are moving back to this are and we need to be aware of our surroundings for our safety. There is no way you can mistake a bobcat for a cougar! Bobcats stature is much smaller and especially when a cougar pacing back an fourth in the day light and is seen by many people some which are hunters and have seen cougars in the wild before.
NOTE to WI DNR – Don’t kill it if you come across it.
thank you