The Michigan DNR confirmed a report of a cougar in Northern Michigan.
A mountain lion image caught on a landowner’s trail camera in Gogebic County has been confirmed as the state’s 39th cougar report since 2008. The cat was photographed July 7 in daylight hours northwest of Ironwood, in the far western portion of the Upper Peninsula, according to the DNR.
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“This is very close to where a cougar was documented on a Deer Movement Study trail camera last year,” said Cody Norton, a large carnivore specialist with the Bear and Wolf Program of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
From 2017: DNR confirms first ever cougar sighting in Michigan's Lower Peninsula
The DNR team visited the location on Thursday and the image was verified.
Since 2008, the DNR says they have confirmed 39 cougar reports with all but one of those occurring in the Upper Peninsula. In some cases, these reports may include multiple sightings of the same cougar, not necessarily 39 individual animals.
From 2018: Cougar captured on DNR camera in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
“With an average of three confirmed cougar reports in each of the past 12 years, these animals remain rare in the Upper Peninsula,” Norton said.
Should you encounter a cougar
• Face the animal and do not act submissive. Stand tall, wave your arms and talk in a loud voice.
• Never run from a cougar or other large carnivore. If children are present, pick them up so they cannot run.
• Do not crouch and get on all fours.
• If attacked, fight back with whatever is available. DO NOT play dead.
• Report the encounter to local authorities and the DNR as soon as possible.