DNR Confirms Sighting: Cougar Cubs Photographed in Michigan

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced via press release that feral cougar cubs, also known as mountain lions, were spotted and photographed in Michigan for the first time in 100 years.

This DNR confirmed sighting of two cougar cubs on private land in the western Upper Peninsula in Ontonagon County on March 6, 2025. The resident took the photos, and a large carnivore specialist for the DNR, Brian Roell, verified them.

Why This Sighting is Significant

Roell, who has worked in the field for over a quarter century, explained that this is more than a few pictures of cute cubs. He says they could very well represent the first concrete evidence that cougars are reproducing in Michigan.

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You may have wondered, as I did when I first saw these pictures: Where's mom? While we appreciate the photographs, I truly hope you weren't stationary for too long while taking them.

RELATED: 43 Photos of Michigan's Apex Predator: Confirmed Cougar Sightings

The cubs are estimated to be between 7 and 9 months old, and cougar moms usually keep them close for the first 2 years. In other words, if mom had seen someone close to her kids, we likely wouldn't have seen these photos.

These aren't the only photographs of big cats in Michigan. There have been 132 confirmed cougar reports, but all have been male. If you happen to spot a cougar in the wild, might I suggest not being quite as bold as the photographer of these cubs? Be sure to give them A LOT of space. You can report your sighting to Eyes in the Field.