Could mountain lion be lurking near the Chicago Bears' lair?

There’s a lion stalking the fields not far from the home of the Chicago Bears, neighbors say.

At least three residents in Lake Forest have reported seeing what they believe was a cougar or a mountain lion, in the last two weeks, said Phil Duncan, property manager for Conway Farms Homeowners Association, which is across the road from the Bears practice facility.

Jane Stickney said she was walking her golden Labrador, Hope, when something “big” slinked out of the tall grass on Thursday night.

“I could see it had a kitty head, with kitty ears and a long tail and it moved like a cat,” she said. She’s used to seeing deer, even coyote, near her Lake Forest home – but never a cougar.

Although it was dark, Stickney said, there was just enough of the glow from a street light for her to recognize the creature as a cougar.

The big cat walked away, and then started moving toward Stickney and Hope. That’s when Stickney, pulling her wildly barking dog, turned and walked home – quickly.

Lake Forest Police said they could not confirm the sightings, but Duncan’s association was concerned enough that they sent an email to the 300 homeowners warning them to keep an eye out.

Stefano Esposito