12/19/2025

ONTONAGON - For the first time in over a century, cougar reproduction was confirmed east of the Mississippi River in the Western U.P. A December 6 trail camera photo from Ontonagon County, confirmed by DNR’s Brian Roell, showed an adult cougar with two approximately year-old juveniles. The kittens are expected to survive the winter with their mother. Native to Michigan but hunted out by the early 1900s, cougars are now endangered. Since 2008, the DNR has confirmed about 168 UP sightings, with an increase since 2019 due partly to more trail cameras. In 2025 alone, there have been 29 UP sightings. Despite this, Roell stresses cougars will remain rare. The public is urged to respect their habitat, as human disturbance can cause mothers to abandon their young.