Illinois is not the first state that comes to mind when one thinks of wildlife.Governor Pat Quinn changed the game when he signed the Protection of Wildlife Bill which protects mountain lions, gray wolves and black bears from being killed without good cause. Large mammals are making a reappearance in Illinois, once covered in forests, according to Southern Illinois University. Researchers say seven gray wolves, four mountain lions and two black bears have been seen since 2000. Recently a third black bear bear was spotted near Rockford. Up until now these large carnivores could be shot on sight. Which is exactly what happened when mountain lions wandered across man's borders. A young male cougar in breeding health crossing a Whiteside County farm was shot last November by a state conservation officer armed with a state-issued rifle for the lack of more enlightened wildlife laws. The farmer, nervous about his family asked that the cougar be killed. The last cougar to be shot in Illinois was in 2008. Since 1890 cougars have attacked humans in North America only 145 according to National Geographic, not known for animal-lovers' bias. Considering that man has usurped their hunting territories almost exclusively, that is an amazing amount of restraint on the feline's part. Now, the new state law allows the killing of these carnivores only when the animals threaten livestock or public safety. The question is would the Whiteside cougar have been saved even under the new law since it could be argued his mere presence threatened the farmer? Whose fault is that, the farmer's or the feline's? There is no legislative cure for lack of guts. Governor Quinn, state senator Linda Homes and state Representative Kelly Cassidy were sponsors of the bill.