[FEL-L] Cougar sighting Wisconsin

[Gary Breuckman]

DNR Investigates Cougar Sighting in Walworth County

ELKHORN, Wis.  --  The state Department of Natural Resources is
investigating whether a cougar is roaming Walworth County and whether
it's the same one spotted near Milton in January.

The DNR verified tracks found March 7 seven miles northeast of
Elkhorn were from a cougar after looking at photos taken at the
scene. A hair sample was collected for genetic analysis.

The tracks were found about 23 miles east-southeast of a cougar
sighting east of Milton in Rock County in January.

"It is possible these (tracks) are the same cougar's, although tracks
measured at the Elkhorn site seemed somewhat larger," Adrian Wydeven,
a DNR mammal ecologist, said in a news release.

Track sizes can differ based on snow conditions or whether the front
or hind feet made them, he said.

"It is hoped that genetic testing will be able to determine the
relationships of these cougars to each other," Wydeven said.

According to the DNR, the last known wild cougars in Wisconsin
disappeared in the early 20th century.

Although there have been reports of cougars around the state since
then, none have been documented as wild cats since the early 1900s.

There have been several instances of captive cougars escaping into
the wild before recapture or disappearance. Cougars have been
documented in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois.

Cougars are listed as protected wild animals in Wisconsin, which
means a permit would be required from the DNR before someone could
kill the animal.

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Information from: The Janesville Gazette, http://www.gazetteextra.com