Credit goes to Kim in Rapid City for pointing out this interesting story. According to the Chicago Tribune, a mountain lion was found by police in a neighborhood on the city’s north side earlier this month. That’s pretty amazing all by itself, but here’s the really remarkable part: wildlife officials think the big cat may have journeyed there from the Black Hills.

That’s about a 1,000 mile trip, give or take. Aside from the sheer distance, consider the kinds of obstacles between Chicago and western South Dakota. Like, oh, let’s say the Missouri River. And the Mississippi River. And Interstates 29, 35 and 39. Those are some pretty significant barriers for any size animal.

Sadly, police had to put the mountain lion down. Large predators and large cities just don’t mix real well.

Stories like these help me appreciate the real biodiversity we have here in the Black Hills. We’ve got a whole palette of indigenous wildlife, and it’s pretty exciting to see them so often. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t see at least one herd of deer (mule and white-tailed) and several flocks of turkeys on my drive to work. Then there are the slightly more rare animals: elk, coyotes, ferrets, prairie dogs, bison, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, burrowing owls, bald eagles and, of course, mountain lions.

Mountain lions (or cougars, if you feel like shaking things up) are the most obviously dangerous. Although there’s only been one documented (though unconfirmed) mountain lion attack in the history of South Dakota, it’s a good idea to know what to do if you find one while you’re out hiking in the forest. There’s a pretty good checklist at eHow.com. The summary: be noisy while hiking so you don’t surprise a lion, don’t approach one if you see it in the distance, and should it attack you, look as big and scary as you can. When it comes right down to it, mountain lions are cats, and they share a certain amount of laziness. If they think you’re going to be a troublesome dinner, they won’t bother with you.

Once again for emphasis: the chances of seeing a mountain lion in the Black Hills is low, and the chances of actually being attacked by one are practically nil. All the same, be prepared, and take the time to appreciate the beauty and strength of such a graceful animal. It’s really remarkable that we get to share the Black Hills with these creatures, and you owe it to yourself to take some time on your next vacation here to spend some time appreciating them.