The Department of Natural Resources verified this photograph of a cougar taken near Bruce Township with a trail camera. Two separate sets of cougar tracks have been found in DeTour and Gulliver. (Photograph courtesy of the Department of Natural Resources) Cougars are present in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, and for the first time, now there is proof the big cats are here, wildlife biologists say.

Two sets of cougar tracks and a cougar photograph taken in the Eastern Upper Peninsula are genuine and indicate for the first time a confirmed presence of at least a few of the animals in the area, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced Wednesday, November 4. The tracks were discovered in the DeTour and Gulliver areas, while the photo was taken near Bruce Township.

The tracks and the photograph don’t prove that there is a resident population of the big cats in the EUP, said biologist Kristie Sitar, just that there are some individual cats here now. Ms. Sitar is on the DNR’s cougar team, whose four members have taken specialized training in western states to identify signs of the animal. Team members are scattered across the state and are called in to independently investigate when there are reported sightings of cougars, with evidence.

“The evidence tells us we have some cats here, but not how many cats or how long they’ve been here,” Ms. Sitar told The St. Ignace News Wednesday, November 4. “We don’t believe we have a breeding population” and there’s no reason at this time to think there are very many cougars around the area.

Previously cougars, also known as mountain lions, were thought to have been extirpated in the Upper Peninsula around the turn of the last century. The last known wild cougar taken in Michigan was killed near Newberry in 1906, according to the DNR. Despite regularly reported claims of sightings in the area, the DNR was not able to confirm their presence here with evidence until now.

The first set of tracks was reported Monday, October 26, when wildlife biologist Dave Jentoft received a call late in the day at the Shingleton Field Office reporting tracks that looked like cougar prints near DeTour. The caller was instructed to cover the tracks to protect them from the elements, and Mr. Jentoft went out the next day to take photographs, measure the tracks, and conduct a field investigation. The information Mr. Jentoft collected was shared with the DNR's trained cougar team, and the consensus was reached that the tracks appeared to have been made by a cougar.

One week later, DNR Eastern Upper Peninsula Wildlife Supervisor Terry Minzey was contacted by a landowner near Gulliver, who reported finding large tracks that he thought may be from a cougar Monday, November 2. DNR biologists Ms. Sitar and Kevin Swanson investigated the site with Mr. Minzey, taking measurements, photographs, and plaster casts of the tracks. With help from the DNR's cougar team, it was determined that the tracks are from a cougar.

"These are the first confirmed cougar tracks in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, and we appreciate the cooperation of the callers who reported the tracks and worked to keep them covered until we could respond to the scene," said Ms. Sitar, a member of the DNR’s cougar team. "Other landowners who believe they have evidence of a cougar on their property, such as tracks or a kill site, are encouraged to contact their local DNR field office as soon as possible, which allows staff to investigate before the evidence is compromised. Without good evidence, like what we had in these two cases, verification becomes increasingly difficult."

The cougar photograph, taken by a trail camera on private property near Bruce Township in mid- October, has been under investigation by wildlife staff since October 22. The photograph shows a cougar at night walking through a food plot. There was no doubt the photo depicted a cougar, but the location where the photo was taken was not accessible to DNR staff for on-site inspection until Monday, November 2. At that time, a field investigation by Mr. Jentoft and DNR Wildlife Technician Tim Maples made it possible to verify the location by comparing camera angles and vegetation markers at the site, allowing wildlife officials to confirm the photo was taken at that spot.

In the western Upper Peninsula last year, the DNR was able to verify several sets of cougar tracks in Marquette and Delta counties.

The animals could be transients passing through the area, according to the DNR. Established cougar populations are found as close to Michigan as North and South Dakota, and transient cougars dispersing from these areas have been known to travel hundreds of miles in search of new territory.

Characteristic evidence of cougars include tracks, which are about three inches long by three and a half inches wide and typically

show no claw marks, or suspicious kill sites, such as deer carcasses that are largely intact and have been buried with sticks and debris.

To prove there is a breeding population of the cats, biologists would need to verify tracks of multiple cats, verify more tracks and trail photographs, especially showing multiple animals, or confirm sightings of adults with offspring, Ms. Sitar said. She’s not aware whether any sightings of adults with offspring have been reported over the years, but if so, none have been verified, she said.

Reports of cougar tracks and other evidence should be made to a local DNR office or by calling the department's 24-hour Report All Poaching line at (800) 292-7800.

Cougars are classified as an endangered species in Michigan. It is unlawful to kill, harass, or otherwise harm a cougar except in the immediate defense of human life.

Making Contact: Do Not Run

If a person comes into contact with a cougar, the following behavior is recommended by the DNR:

• Stop, stand tall, pick up small children (so they don’t run), and do not run. A cougar's instinct is to chase.

• Do not approach the animal.

• Try to appear larger than the cougar. Never take your eyes off the animal or turn your back. Do not crouch down or try to hide.

• If the animal displays aggressive behavior, shout, wave your arms, and throw rocks. The idea is to convince the cougar that you are not prey, but a potential danger.

• If a cougar attacks, fight back aggressively and try to stay on your feet. Do not play dead. Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back.