ONTONAGON COUNTY, MI— Cougar cubs have been found living in the western Upper Peninsula.
State biologists on Wednesday confirmed the existence of two cubs on private land in Ontonagon County. The spotted cubs, believed to be 7 to 9 weeks old, were verified from photographs of the cubs taken March 6 by a local resident.
The Department of Natural Resources says it’s the first evidence in more than 100 years of a reproducing population in Michigan. The animals were hunted out of existence in the early 1900s.
DNR biologist Brian Roell says 132 cougar sightings in Michigan have been verified. Most of the big cats appear to be transient, walking through from western states. DNA testing has confirmed only male cougars.
The cubs were spotted and photographed without their mother. Cougar cubs are highly dependent on their mothers, often staying with them for the first two years of life.
