Mountain lion struck, killed by vehicle in DeKalb County

A mountain lion was struck and killed by a vehicle in DeKalb County, about 65 miles west of Chicago, state officials said.

The cougar was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 88 on Sunday, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It could be the same mountain lion that was caught on a trail camera on private property in Whiteside County in September, the release said.

A wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources is set to conduct a necropsy and DNA tests, which will tell scientists about its place of origin and movement patterns.

Mountain lions are rare in Illinois, according to the Department of Natural Resources. The department is tracking another mountain lion that was seen in the western part of the state this month.

Mountain lions have been protected in Illinois since 2015, meaning it’s illegal to hunt or kill them unless they pose a threat.