News report from a sheriff in Henry County in northern Illinois near the Quad Cities:

http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=518406

"The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will deny the big cats exist in Illinois, Sheriff Cady said." Now here is a Sheriff who has dealt with the DNR before. Unless a body can be provided, DNR will deny the existence of Cougars in the State of Chi, oops, meant Illinois.

And if that don't work they will say it was a released pet...

And if that don't work they will say it was a released pet...
Or one that strayed from Wyoming or someplace.