(WWJ) Cougar sightings are often a topic of conjecture and debate in the Great Lakes State, but these big kitties are legit.
For the first time in more than 100 years, verified cougar cubs have been discovered living in the Michigan wild, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Sharing photos of the two spotted cubs along with a news release Thursday, the DNR said biologists on Wednesday confirmed their existence on private land in Ontonagon County in the western Upper Peninsula.
Believed to be 7 to 9 weeks old, the cubs were verified from photos taken on March 6 by a local resident who asked not to be identified.
This is the first time cougar cubs have been verified since the big cats were hunted out of existence in Michigan in the early 1900s, said Brian Roell, large carnivore specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR said Roell, a wildlife biologist for 26 years, led the team that verified the cubs.
“It’s pretty exciting, considering this could be the first known cougar reproduction in modern times in the western Great Lakes states,” said Roell, referring to Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. “It really shows that we have a unique place in Michigan where someone has a chance to see a wolf, a moose and a cougar in the wild. It’s something that should be celebrated, that we have the habitat to support an elusive animal like this.”
The cubs were spotted and photographed without their mother. Cougar cubs are highly dependent on their mothers, often staying with them for the first two years of life.
Although cougars are native to Michigan, the DNR says most of them now appear to be transient animals, dispersing into Michigan from Western states.
Despite a rise in reported cougar sightings in Michigan state in recent years, the DNR has maintained — at least until now — that there was no evidence of a breeding population.
The DNR has verified only 132 adult cougar reports, Roell said, but DNA testing has confirmed only male cougars to date.
The DNR has said sightings may be spiking due the increased popularity of trail cameras, which are used by hunters and wildlife enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, the two cubs have not been spotted since March 6, and there is some concern that the babies might not have made it.
“Those young cougars are very vulnerable right now,” Roell said. “We don’t know where they are or if they’re even alive. Mother Nature can be very cruel.”
Sightings can be logged in the DNR’s Eyes in the Field reporting system. Roell said 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 den. It’s also illegal to trespass on private property, he noted.
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.
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.