Two young mountain lions photographed last spring in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are still alive and traveling with their mother, MLive reports.
The sighting marked the first confirmed wild cougar birth in the state in more than a century.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources made the announcement Dec. 18 after receiving trail camera images from an Ontonagon County landowner.
This photo, taken on December 6, shows a mother cougar walking along a snow-covered trail with her two babies, believed to be about 12 months old now.
Drivers first photographed the kittens on a road in the western Upper Peninsula in March.
No adult cubs were visible at the time, raising concerns that the cubs would not thrive. Now, wildlife officials say the young cougars are healthy and will likely stay with her until next winter.
This is exciting news for the region. Mountain lions once roamed the state of Michigan, but were extinct due to overhunting by 1910.
For decades, the only cougars found in Michigan were adult males migrating eastward from the western United States. A breeding female in Michigan changes everything.
Trail cameras have become a useful tool for wildlife experts to track endangered species. These devices capture images without disturbing the animals, providing biologists with valuable data on population health and behavior.
In this case, a photo confirmed the first breeding of wild cougars in Michigan in more than a century.
Smart management of wildlife and their habitats helps many species survive and recover. When predators such as mountain lions return to the ecosystem, they help control deer populations, thereby protecting forests and the food sources many communities depend on.
“This is a historic confirmation for the state of Michigan because it is the first time in more than 100 years that cougar breeding has been confirmed east of the Mississippi River and possibly even east of the Missouri River,” said Brian Roell, DNR large carnivore specialist.
“These kittens will stay with their mother through this winter and possibly into next winter,” Rohr added.
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