ONTONAGON COUNTY, MI— Two cougar kittens discovered in Ontonagon County last March are alive and well.
The Department of Natural Resources says a trail camera photo from December 6 shows an adult cougar being followed by two kittens down a snowy trail in central Ontonagon County.
The last time the kittens were seen they were only about two months old and their mother was nowhere in sight. That raised concerns about their survival.
So far, genetic testing has confirmed only the existence of adult male cougars in Michigan. DNR biologist Brian Roell says the photo suggests one of the first instances of cougar reproduction to take place outside the cougars’ core area in the Western states.
Cougar kittens, or cubs, generally stay with their mother for about two years before venturing out on their own.
