Chris McCloud, spokesman for the IDNR, said the conservation officer at the scene is responsible for determining whether an animal poses a threat to public safety. In this case, McCloud said, the officer decided it was a public safety issue because the cougar was very close to a residence.



"Public safety is what we'll make the decision on every time," he said.



Before deciding to euthanize an animal, the IDNR considers other options, including tranquilizing and relocating the animal, McCloud said.



Conservation officers do not carry tranquilizers because they aren't trained to handle the chemical and assess the proper dosage so that they don't inadvertently harm or kill the animal, McCloud said. Calling in a veterinarian equipped to tranquilize the cougar wasn't an option in this case because of the safety risk, he said.



However, the same safety risks means the IDNR wouldn't consider relocating a cougar, a predatory animal not protected by state conservation law, McCloud said.



When asked whether there are any alternatives to killing cougars, McCloud said "that's a good question. There is no specific answer. You would have to have someone that would take the animal."



He said that situation had never come up.



But Bruce Patterson, Curator of Mammals at the Field Museum who studies large cats, said he didn't see evidence the cougar in Whitefield County was a threat.



Patterson said Chicago police had no option but to shoot a cougar found on Chicago's North Side in 2008, because it was in the middle of a crowded city and near an elementary school.



"But I can't figure out why this animal had to be shot," he said.



He said reports that the cougar was found in a concrete tunnel in a corn crib suggest it was looking for a safe place to hide during the day, and didn't indicate an imminent threat.



"It's possible to manage wildlife while still keeping it around," Patterson said.