Wildlife officials outside of South Dakota have speculated that the cougar shot in Chicago Tuesday may have come from the Black Hills.

But a local Game, Fish & Parks Department official said a DNA sample from a South Dakota mountain lion would be needed in order for someone to have a chance at making that determination.

"They're making statements without really any evidence to back it up," said state Game, Fish & Parks Department regional supervisor Mike Kintigh.

A necropsy was performed on the cat, which was gunned down by police after people spotted the creature running through an urban neighborhood, by an animal control facility in Illinois, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The story said testing indicates that the DNA from the Chicago cat is similar to DNA found in cougars in South Dakota.

Kintigh said the cat could have come from the Black Hills, since cougars from the Hills have been known to travel long distances, in one case as far as Oklahoma.

But without DNA evidence from South Dakota lions, he doesn't understand how officials can do a DNA comparison.

"They have not been in touch with us to ask for any DNA samples of our lions," he said. "I don't know where they would obtain anything that they can compare to."

DNA from South Dakota lions is only available at South Dakota State University, Kintigh said. Wildlife officials from other states may be able to request and obtain those samples in order to compare them to the Chicago lion, he said.

Kintigh said genetic research has matured enough over the years to allow researchers to have some success pinpointing a lion's geographic origin using its DNA. He said researchers may be able to compare the Chicago lion using DNA from South Dakota cats and find enough similarities to determine the lion was from the Hills.

Most dispersal patterns seem to show lions heading north and west, he said. Kintigh said there is just as good of a chance that the cat came from Canada or some other lion population as there is that it came from the Black Hills.

Some have criticized Chicago police for shooting the cat.

Rapid City law enforcement could conceivably be put in the position where they would have to kill a cougar that was loose in Rapid City. But Capt. Ed Hofkamp of the Rapid City Police Department said police rely heavily on GF&P to assist with mountain lion incidents and hesitate to take action unless absolutely necessary.

"It'd have to be very severe before we'd get involved in the point of firing our weapons at it," he said.

Lt. Corey Brubakken of the Pennington County Sheriff's Office said the sheriff's office also relies on the GF&P when it comes to lion issues.

Kintigh said cats that come into town fit the protocol for removal. Sometimes other law enforcement is authorized to shoot cats when deemed necessary. But law enforcement officers tend to be aware of the caution that needs to be taken before doing so and the responsibility that comes with it, he said.

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com.