The Cougar captured on Webcam the other day in the Upper Peninsula was "ear tagged"..........Since Michigan does not have a "tagging" program for Cougars(none captured to tag), this Cat appears to be a transient from elsewhwere as was the Cat killed in Connecticut during the Summer.............Again, the Dakotas could be the original home of this wanderer

Trail camera captures cougar in Upper Peninsula

Footage represents 2nd piece of evidence in 15 months of endangered species, state says

Jim Lynch

There is a cougar somewhere in or near Ontonagon County these days. And it's not what you'd call camera shy.

 For the second time in little more than 15 months, there is graphic evidence of a cougar's presence in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A video trail camera caught the animal strolling through private property in the western end of the peninsula Thursday. In footage released Tuesday by Michigan's Department of Natural Resources, the animal appears for less than five seconds as it moves off-screen — an ear tag and radio collar are visible.

Cougars have been a hot topic for Michigan wildlife enthusiasts in recent years. Sightings are reported on a fairly regular basis, but verifications are harder to come by. In roughly a century, there have been only a half-dozen verified cougar sightings. On Monday, Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials went to the Ontonagon County scene and verified the camera location.

"We are pleased that the individuals that caught this animal on video reported it promptly to the DNR and allowed us to verify the location of the camera," Adam Bump, a wildlife biologist with the state agency, said in a statement. "It is a very interesting sighting given the fact that the cougar has been radio-collared and ear-tagged."

Michigan does not have a tagging program in place for cougars, and most such programs are conducted in western states. That means the animal could have traveled across several states to reach the Upper Peninsula.

In May 2010, a trail camera snapped a still shot of another cougar on the move in Menominee County near Wallace. To many Michigan residents, that picture was evidence that Michigan has a sustainable population of cougars, despite years of DNR officials saying the evidence isn't there to support such claims.
The conflicting opinions have been the cause of hard feelings.

"Cougars have been known in the Upper Peninsula by residents since the beginning of time," said Dennis Fijalkowski, executive director of the Lansing-based Michigan Wildlife Conservancy. "They never believed they were gone. But when they reported their sightings, they were always discredited by the state. After a while, they just stopped reporting."

More than a century ago, cougars could be found throughout the United States. Over time, development and hunting allegedly pushed the animal into the western third of the country. The last known cougar killed in Michigan was in 1906 near Newberry.

The state considers cougars an endangered species, prohibiting the killing or harming of the animals except when human life is threatened. While Bump said the state has never been able to confirm the presence of cougars in the Lower Peninsula, Fijalkowski believes they are indeed there.

In addition, he said it is time for the state to educate residents about the cats. State officials took a small step in that direction Tuesday, releasing tips for anyone who encounters a cougar, including:

-Stop, stand tall, pick up children and do not run.
-Do not approach the animal.
-Try to appear larger than the cougar and do not take your eyes off it or turn your back on it.
-If the animal acts aggressively, shout, wave your arms and throw rocks if possible. Act like a threat, not prey.
-If the cougar attacks, fight back, stay on your feet and do not play dead.