Even With 30 Sightings, DNR Says Cougars Not Breeding Here

The dead cougar found on the side of the road in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula brings the total number of confirmed cougar sightings in the U.P. to 30.

Is that enough to say the animal has taken up residence in the U.P.?

Not exactly, says Stacy Haughey with the state Department of Natural Resources.

The regional coordinator with the DNR says they have yet to find a breeding population of cougars in the U.P.

As for the male cougar left on the side of the road near Iron Mountain, Haughey believes whoever trapped the animal may have felt bad about it and left it somewhere so it would be found.

X-Rays confirm the animal was caught in a snare, however it’s not clear how the cougar died.