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For the first time in >100 years, #cougar cubs have been discovered living in the #Michigan #wild.
State biologists on Wednesday confirmed the existence of 2 #CougarCubs on private land in Ontonagon County in the western #UP. The spotted cubs, believed to be 7–9 weeks old, were verified from photographic evidence of the cubs taken March 6 by a local resident.
#wildlife #conservation
https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/newsroom/releases/2025/03/13/first-cougar-cubs-verified-in-michigan-in-more-than-a-century
This is the first time #CougarCubs 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 MDNR. Roell, a #wildlife biologist for 26yrs, 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 #GreatLakes states,”said Roell, referring to Michigan, Wisconsin & Minnesota.
“It really shows that we have a unique place in #Michigan where someone has a chance to see a #wolf, a #moose & a #cougar in the #wild. It’s something that should be celebrated, that we have the #habitat to support an elusive animal like this,”Roell said.
The cubs were spotted & photographed without their mother. #CougarCubs are highly dependent on their mothers, often staying with them for the first two years of life.
Although #cougars are native to #Michigan, most of them now appear to be transient animals, dispersing into MI from Western states. The DNR has verified 132 adult #cougar reports, Roell said, but DNA testing has confirmed only male cougars to date.
The #CougarCubs have not been spotted since March 6. “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.
For the latest info on cougars, including the DNR’s cougar sightings photo page [https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/education/michigan-species/mammals/cougars/photos], visit Michigan.gov/Cougar.