Thanks to Mlive for this:
DICKINSON COUNTY, MI – A trail camera recently captured a rare image of Michigan’s most elusive predator.
The image of a cougar, or mountain lion, was confirmed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. It shows the big cat walking through a semi-open area of firs and poplars and was taken in September in Dickinson County.
“On Sept. 16, 2021, a trail camera photo was taken of a cougar in southern Dickinson County,” said Cody Norton, the DNR’s large carnivore specialist. “This is about 50 miles from where a July 20 video was captured in Baraga County.”
The photo gained significant attention after it was posted on social media.
So far in 2021, 10 cougar reports have been confirmed in the U.P., including three from Dickinson County, two from Marquette County and one each from Baraga, Delta, Houghton, Luce and Schoolcraft counties.
Norton said greater use of trail cameras by the public may be contributing to the increased number of cougar reports.
Previous genetic research has shown the cougars seen in the Upper Peninsula have dispersed to the region from states west of Michigan. The DNR has no evidence confirmed of a breeding population of mountain lions in the U.P.
