Two cougar cubs were spotted in Michigan for the first time in 100 years. Photo courtesy: DNR
(FOX 2) – More than 100 years ago, cougars were hunted out of existence in Michigan. This week, the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed two spotted cougar cubs in the Upper Peninsula.
The DNR said the set of spotted cubs are between 7 and 9 weeks old and were first spotted by a local resident on private property last Saturday in Ontonagon County.
In a release from the DNR, it’s the first time since the early 1900s that cougar cubs were verified in the state. That’s when they were hunted out of existence in Michigan, according to Brian Roell, large carnivore specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Two cougar cubs were spotted in Michigan for the first time in 100 years. Photo courtesy: DNR
“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.”
Cougars are native to Michigan but now only appear as ‘transient’ animals as they move in from Western state.
The DNR has verified a total 132 cougar reports. however, DNA testing confirmed they have all been males.
Last January, a trail camera caught a cougar hunting a deer in the Keweenaw Peninsula
Big cats are rare in Michigan, but they do exist. For more than a century, officials believed cougars had been extirpated by humans. However, the Department of Natural Resources says confirmed cougar sightings since 2008 mean their population numbers may be rebounding.
The cubs were spotted without their mother – a peculiar occurrence at their age, given that cougar cubs are dependent on their mother and will stay with them for the first two years of life.
Two cougar cubs were spotted in Michigan for the first time in 100 years. Photo courtesy: DNR
They have not been seen since March 6 and the Roell said there’s no way to know if they have survived.
“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.”
What you can do:
Cougars are endangered in the state so it is illegal to hunt or harass them – including trying to find their den.
Anyone who spots a cougar is asked to contact the DNR and submit photos at Michigan.gov/Cougar.
The Source: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources provided details for this story.
