Michigan officials have logged a record-breaking number of cougar sightings across the Upper Peninsula this year, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

The Michigan DNR reported 26 cougar sightings so far in 2025, the highest number in 17 years of tracking the animal, state data shows. The DNR has reported dozens of cougar sightings in recent years, nearly all in the Upper Peninsula. Residents also have reported sightings throughout the Lower Peninsula.

Residents often capture them remotely, via trail cams set up for tracking wild game. The Michigan DNR maintains a gallery of reported cougar sightings on its website.

In March 2025, the DNR confirmed the first known cougar cubs in Michigan in a century.

The 7- to 9-week-old cubs were confirmed on private land in On

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