(WWJ) These big cats are stealthy, but they have been spotted by sharp-eyed Michiganders — and more of them in recent years.
According to the latest data from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), there have been 21 confirmed cougar sightings in the state in 2025.
To put it in perspective, that's quite a few more than in 2021, but a couple fewer than last year, with not long to go in 2025.
According to the DNR, the 2025 sightings were pretty well spread out throughout the year, on these dates:
January 14
January 17
January 18
January 27
February 19
February 25
February 26
March 6
March 12
March 15
March 31
April 15
April 22
May 15
May 23
June 16
July 24
July 27
September 1
September 21
It's important to note that some of these sightings may have been of the same animal, but different people.
Here are the number of confirmed cougar sightings by year dating back to 2020, according to DNR data:
2024 - 23
2023 - 18
2022 - 15
2021 - 14
2020 - 15
Prior to 2008, yearly sightings were in the single-digits.
The DNR said a majority of the big cats spotted have been adults males, but there were two cubs verified this year. The DNR said biologists in March confirmed the two cubs spotted on private land in Ontonagon County, in the Western Upper Peninsula.
This was the first time cougar cubs have been verified since the big cats were hunted out of existence in Michigan in the early 1900s, said according to DNR large carnivore specialist Brian Roell. The last known wild cougar legally hunted in the state was in 1906 near Newberry.
A majority of the sightings have been in the Western Upper Peninsula, although it's not impossible to see one downstate. There was one confirmed sights in Clinton County in 2017.
Although cougars are native to Michigan, the DNR says most of them now appear to be transient animals, dispersing into Michigan from western states
The DNR has said sightings may be spiking due the increased popularity of trail cameras, which are used by hunters and wildlife enthusiasts.
While the DNR has never confirmed a cougar in the Metro Detroit area, there have been anecdotal reports in Oakland County's Kensington Metropark, and even in Novi.
The DNR notes that cougars are on the list of endangered mammals in Michigan, meaning it’s illegal to hunt or harass them, which includes trying to locate their dens.
Most cougars try to avoid humans. But if you do encounter a cougar in the wild, expert say do not run, stand your ground, make yourself look bigger, and make loud noises. Try to appear assertive, while slowly backing away. If attacked, fight back aggressively, while trying to protect your head and neck.
Sightings can be logged in the DNR’s Eyes in the Field reporting system
Detailed data on confirmed cougar sightings in Michigan can be found here.
For the latest information on cougars, including the DNR’s cougar sightings photo page, visit Michigan.gov/Cougar.