The Michigan DNR has confirmed 10 cougar sightings in 2021, all in the Upper Peninsula, continuing an upward trend in sightings over the last few years.

The Michigan DNR has confirmed six cougar sightings in 2020, all in the Upper Peninsula. Since 2008, the DNR has confirmed 55 cougar sightings, with only one of those coming in the Lower Peninsula, in 2017. Though originally native to Michigan, cougars were driven from the states landscape due to several factors, including habitat loss, around the early 1900s. In 2019, at least 11 cougar sightings were confirmed in the state. There have been periodic reports of cougar sightings since that time from various locations in Michigan.