The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed the first discovery of mountain lion cubs living in the Michigan wild in more than 100 years, with two cubs spotted on private land in Ontonagon County in the western Upper Peninsula.
The cubs were verified through photographic evidence taken by a local resident on March 6, 2025. They appear to be between 7 to 9 weeks old.
“It’s pretty exciting, considering this could be the first known cougar reproduction in modern times in the western Great Lakes states. It really shows that we have a unique place in Michigan where someone has a chance to see a wolf, a moose and a cougar in the wild. It’s something that should be celebrated, that we have the habitat to support an elusive animal like this.” – Brian Roell, large carnivore specialist for the Michigan DNR
The cubs have not been sighted since the photographs were taken on March 6 when they were spotted without their mother. Mountain lion cubs typically stay with their mothers for the first two years of their life and are highly dependent on their mothers.
Mountain lions are native to Michigan, but they typically disperse into the state from further west. 132 adult mountain lion reports verified by the DNR has only confirmed the presence of male mountain lions through DNA testing.
It is illegal to hunt or harass mountain lions as they’re listed as endangered mammals in Michigan. That includes attempting to locate their den. Those who spot a mountain lion in the wild are encouraged to report the sighting through the DNR’s “Eyes in the Field” reporting system.
