A cougar kitten next to a vehicle tire
When the motorist stopped to take a closer look at the kittens, one of them ran under his truck. Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Cougars once roamed throughout Michigan. But, around the turn of the century, hunters wiped out the state’s population.
Now, wildlife biologists are cautiously optimistic that the big cats have returned to Michigan. Two cougar cubs were recently spotted in the Upper Peninsula, marking the first time the species’ youngsters have been discovered in the state in more than 100 years, according to a statement from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
On March 6, a man was driving on private land in the western Upper Peninsula when he saw two kittens running along the road. When he stopped to get a closer look, one of the kittens ran under his truck.
The man, who was in Ontonagon County at the time, snapped a few photos of the kittens, which he initially thought were bobcats. Another motorist also pulled up for a look at the young animals.
Cougar cub crouched in snow
The cubs were seen without their mother, but wildlife biologists suspect she was nearby. Michigan Department of Natural Resources
“They both talked about them, like, ‘Oh, neat kittens.’ And then they went along their day, not thinking anything of it,” says Brian Roell, a wildlife biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, to MLive.com’s Sheri McWhirter.
But, as it turns out, the two drivers had witnessed something remarkable. State wildlife biologists looked at the photos and realized the kittens were not bobcats, but endangered cougars. They suspect the kittens are between 7 and 9 weeks old.
The motorists did not see the kittens’ mother, but biologists suspect she was somewhere nearby. Cougars are “highly dependent” on their mothers and typically spend the first two years of their lives with her, according to the statement.
The kittens have not been seen since March 6. The young creatures are “very vulnerable right now,” Roell says in the statement.
“We don’t know where they are or if they’re even alive,” he adds. “Mother Nature can be very cruel.”
Wildlife biologists are hopeful they’ll catch sight of the kittens on one of the many trail cameras set up near where they were spotted. Those same trail cameras have been capturing images of an adult cougar since January, and now wildlife biologists believe that adult is likely the kittens’ mother.
“We're hopeful that they've reunited [with their mother],” Roell tells Bridge Michigan’s Kelly House and Laura Herberg. “But we don't know.”
Cougars (Puma concolor), also known as mountain lions or pumas, are large, wild cats that can weigh up to 180 pounds in adulthood. Their bodies measure 5 to 6 feet long, with their tails adding another 2.5 to 3.5 feet to their overall length. Young cougars have spotted fur, while adults usually have solid coats that range from yellowish-tan to reddish-brown. The tips of their ears and tails are usually black.
Cougars were hunted to extinction in Michigan in the early 1900s. The last time a wild cougar was legally hunted in the state was in 1906, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Since 2008, the department has verified over 130 adult cougar sightings around the state, mostly in the Upper Peninsula. (The department notes that some of these sightings may be the same animal seen by different people.) And DNA testing suggests all of those cats have been male—likely transient cougars wandering through Michigan on their way to and from other states.
Young males often have to venture beyond their home territories to find a mate, especially if there’s “a bigger, badder male in the area,” Cody Norton, a wildlife biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, told the Detroit Free Press’ Keith Matheny in December 2021.
Female cougars, on the other hand, don’t usually have to roam as far and wide.
“That’s kind of a limiting factor,” Norton told the Detroit Free Press at the time. “Is a female going to make its way over here, where a population could actually get established? Or are we just going to continue to see these lone males out looking for a female and never having any luck?”
Now, however, the newly discovered cubs suggest a female has found her way to Michigan.
“The birth was obviously in Michigan, because she didn’t carry them here from some other state,” Roell tells MLive.com.
Two kittens as viewed through the windshield of a vehicle
The motorist initially thought the kittens were bobcats. Michigan Department of Natural Resources
But wildlife biologists cautioned that the birth of baby cougars does not necessarily mean the animals have established a permanent, breeding population in Michigan. It’s also possible that breeding took place in another state, and then the pregnant female wandered into Michigan to give birth.
Still, wildlife biologists are excited at the prospect that cougars might be returning to the region.
“It’s something that should be celebrated, that we have the habitat to support an elusive animal like this,” Roell says in the statement.
They’re also encouraging members of the public to report any and all physical evidence of cougars they come across, including scat, tracks and carcasses. And, since the creatures are listed as endangered in Michigan, they’re reminding members of the public that it’s illegal to hunt or harass cougars. It’s also illegal to try to locate a cougar den and trespass on private property.
“We’re not releasing any more information on location or anything, just to protect her and those cubs,” Roell tells MLive.com.
Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.
Email Powered by Salesforce Marketing Cloud (Privacy Notice / Terms & Conditions)
Sarah Kuta | READ MORE
Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.
Filed Under: Animals, Baby Animals, Biology, Cats, Cool Finds, Endangered Species, Wildlife