Cougar cubs spotted in Michigan wild for first time in 100 years

By Joseph Buczek

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    Michigan (WWJ) — For the first time in more than a century, cougar cubs have been spotted living in the Michigan wild.

On Wednesday, state biologists confirmed two cougar cubs were on private land in Ontonagon County in the western Upper Peninsula. The cubs were verified by photographs taken by a resident on March 6, who photographed the cubs with their mother.

It’s the first time cougar cubs have been verified since cougars were hunted out of existence in Michigan in the early 1990s, according to Michigan DNR large carnivore specialist Brian Roell.

The cubs are believed to be 7 to 9 weeks old.

“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 DNR says the cubs have not been seen since March 6. Roell says cougars are an endangered mammal in Michigan; it’s illegal to hunt or harass the big cats.

“Those young cougars are very vulnerable right now,” said Roell, who led the team that verified the cubs. “We don’t know where they are or if they’re even alive. Mother Nature can be very cruel.”

Although cougars are native to Michigan, most cougars spotted in Michigan are transient and travel from Western states, according to Roell. To date, the DNR has verified 132 adult cougar reports, with DNA testing confirming only male cougars.

You can report cougar sightings by using the DNR’s Eyes in the Field reporting system.

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