Last week, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced that two cougar cubs were photographed by an Ontonagon County resident, marking the first confirmed sighting of cougars in Michigan in ell over 100 years.

According to the DNR, the spotted cubs were believed to be 7 to 9 weeks old at the time of the photographs.

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 DNR. 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.”

While the news of wild cougars in Michigan is a welcome one, the DNR also said that there is reason to be concerned for the cubs, as they were not seen in proximity of their mother, which is likely problematic as cougars are highly dependent on their mothers for food and protection during the first two years of their life.

The cubs have not been seen again 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.”

Although cougars are native to Michigan, most of them now appear to be transient animals, dispersing into Michigan from western states.

The DNR has verified 132 adult cougar reports, Roell said, but DNA testing has confirmed only male cougars to date.

Sightings can be logged in the DNR’s Eyes in the Field reporting system.

Roell stressed that cougars are on the list of endangered mammals in Michigan, meaning it’s illegal to hunt or harass them, including trying to locate their den. It’s also illegal to trespass on private property, he noted.

The Upper Peninsula is home to a wide array of wildlife and we should all do our best to ensure that our natural resources, including animals, are protected.

— The Mining Journal, Marquette