Confirmed mountain lion sighting in Michigan’s UP (video)

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has verified that the above trail camera footage of what appears to be a cougar on a deer carcass is indeed authentic. The footage, taken earlier this winter in the eastern portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, was captured on a hunter’s remote camera.

This is the 28th confirmed cougar “occurrence” in the Upper Peninsula. It adds to the growing pile of evidence that cougars are occasionally making their way into the Great Lakes region, likely from the Dakotas. If cougars are to recolonize the midwest and northeast, the Great Lakes region will be one of the primary arteries for their return.

Despite the increase in sightings in recent years, Michigan and Minnesota officials still maintain that there is no evidence of resident breeding populations, a belief shared by prominent biologists.

To read the full story from the Duluth News Tribune, click here.

(Video source: Michigan DNR/www.youtube.com)