The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has reported record high-cougar sightings already in 2025, with a month still left in the year.
Brian Roell is a large carnivore specialist for the DNR. He said the department has confirmed 161 sightings since 2008. Of those, 26 are from 2025, and all have been in the Upper Peninsula.
Roell said they’ve had more sightings because there are more cougars in the area and more trail cameras being used that pick up on the wildlife.
He said the cameras are often used by hunters. “Some of these guys have 30 or 40 cameras, and it’s their hobby to see what they can get a picture of,” Roell said. The DNR has even been sent sightings from Ring home security cameras.
But Roell said they’ve also been sent a number of fake sightings, including AI-generated content. “That really is just a waste of time for us,” Roell said.
Drew Monks is the director of wildlife programs & Institute For Rare Mammal Studies at the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy. He said in a statement that it’s encouraging that the DNR is more actively tracking cougar sightings.
“Increases in sightings in recent years are likely due to technological advances,” Monks said. “Trail cameras have become more affordable and effective in recent years, so we have many more ‘eyes in the forest’”.
Cougars were native to Michigan, but were wiped out by hunters towards the beginning of the 1900s. “Anything deemed incompatible with human settlement was dealt with by placing bounties on the predators,” Roell said.
“Obviously times have changed, which has allowed cougars to start expanding their range, reclaiming former territory.” Roell said males often move to other places in order to find mates and breed.
Roell said the predators can travel long distances, and are likely coming from places like Nebraska and South Dakota. Now, some might be in Michigan to stay.
“It seems that some cats have set up residency here, because there’s been consistent sightings,” Roell continued. Last March, they spotted two kittens, but they’re still not sure if this means cougars are breeding in Michigan. But Roell said it’s only a matter of time.
Roell added that there haven’t been any recent incidents of aggressive or violent behavior from cougars towards humans or livestock. The big cats are nocturnal and prefer to stay away from human civilization.
