Morrison Mountain Lion Killed in Car Accident

A mountain lion spotted last week in Morrison is believed to have been hit and killed by a vehicle in Dekalb...around 80 miles away from the last spot it was seen in Morrison, Il.

According to CBSNews, the cougar (otherwise known as a mountain lion) was hit and killed by a vehicle on Interstate 88 in DeKalb County on Sunday. "IDNR experts believe the same mountain lion might have been spotted on a trail camera on private property in Whiteside County."

Dekalb by way of Morrison

Here he is in better days in Morrison, Illinois. In fact, the Whiteside County Sheriff’s office requested the Morrison school district to keep students inside one day a few weeks ago "out of an abundance of caution."

How common are Mountian Lions?

The Iowa DNR says "It is very likely that we have the occasional mountain lion wandering through or staying in our state for a period of time, however, we have not documented a self-sustaining breeding population of mountain lions in Iowa at this time."

"Mountain lions have been locally extinct in Illinois for 150 years. A young male mountain lion was killed in Whiteside County in 2019. It was tested to be from a line of South Dakota mountain lions" according to theflatbkny.com

What to do if you see one

Stay calm. Don't spaz out! If you yell and scream and run it will eat you.

Do not approach a lion. What are you, nuts? Get out of there...slowly!

Do not run from a lion. Running away will make it chase you. Now you're prey. Great job.

Do not crouch down or bend over. If you squat or bend over the wild cats will think you're food. Avoid becoming food.

Are Mountain Lions Dangerous?

The great news is..."In the past 110 years 65 - 75 people have been attacked by mountain lions/cougars, resulting in 63 injuries, 20 of which were fatal, and none have occurred in Iowa."

-IowaDNR.com