Michigan Cougar Confirmation? Leelanau photos seem to say "Yes"
The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy has released results of an investigation that appears to validate a cougar presence in Michigan. The apparent cougar was photographed near the south shore of Glen Lake in Leelanau County:
On Labor Day, September 7, 2009 Dr. Jerome Wiater and his adult son, Christian, observed what they believed to be a cougar (mountain lion) at about 3:30 p.m. on a clear, sunny day. The sighting was along County Road 675 near its intersection with County Road 616. Dr. Wiater, an orthopedic surgeon (MD) residing in Bingham Farms, Michigan, was walking to Glen Lake with a camera in hand, planning to water ski. He and Christian (who was nearby) were startled to see a large, long-tailed cat they believed was about the size of a big dog. Dr. Wiater snapped two photos of the animal—one when it was in shade and the other when the animal was walking in a shallow roadside depression through a more sunny spot approximately 209 feet away.
The site is adjacent to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore where the National Park Service has had “cougar warning” signs at its trailheads since fall of 2003. Dr. Patrick Rusz, director of wildlife programs for the Wildlife Conservancy, took measurements and photos of objects of known size at the site and analyzed the photos in consultation with forensic photography experts. His conclusion is that the animal had the profile (llikely more than 30 inches long) and coloration of a cougar and was too large to be a house cat.
"Both Jerome and Christian Wiater stated that the animal they observed was about the same size as their pet hound," noted Dr. Rusz. "Based on my analysis, it may have been slightly smaller than the dog, but was definitely the size of a small cougar. The Wiater photos, along with decades of sighting reports and tracks found in the same general area during the past 9 years, provide compelling evidence of the presence of cougars in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore area."
Click the photo above to see it bigger or head over to Flickr. You can also see Rusz's full report and see the larger photos at the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy and read more about Michigan cougars at Absolute Michigan.
From wikipedia: "Cougars are slender and agile cats. Adults stand about 60 to 76 centimeters (2.0 to 2.5 ft) tall at the shoulders. The length of adult males is around 2.4 meters (8 ft) long nose to tail, with overall ranges between 1.5 and 2.75 m (5 and 9 ft) nose to tail suggested for the species in general.[16][17] Males typically weigh 53 to 90 kilograms (115 to 198 pounds), averaging 62 kg (137 lb). In rare cases, some may reach over 120 kg (264 lb). Females typically weigh between 29 and 64 kg (64 and 141 lb), averaging 42 kg (93 lb).[18][19][20] Cougar size is smallest close to the equator, and larger towards the poles.[3]"
This is a house cat. House cats have been recorded to up to 3 feet not including tail, while cougars are at least 5 feet at adulthood, and the animal in the photo clearly has the proportions of an adult. Natural history also dictates that young cougars stay with parents for 2 years before dispersing. Note also the stripes on the side and the gray-to-brown gradient like a gray tabby. Note also the size of the flower heads and trees in the background and how they dwarf the animal. You also must take their measurements with a grain of salt because you're basically taking their word for it. Anyone who has studied the natural history and wildlife of Michigan, or seen a cougar in person would know that this is a house cat and these people are pulling the wool over your eyes.
The DNR website indicates that samples have been proven in the Upper Peninsula but that nothing has been found in Northern Lower Michigan. If there were a singular cougar, it would be an escaped pet, as it is highly unlikely that a cougar would travel the 900 miles from North Dakota and climb all the way up to Traverse City from downstate, let alone cross Lake Michigan. However, the size indicates that this particular photo is indeed a house cat.
Stephanie
Naturalist in the Upper Peninsula- with Carnivore Ecology training
Comment by Stephanie — October 7, 2009 @ 8:48 am
If that is not a big cat(aka wild/cougar), someone has been breeding some very big house cats! And I would think that they would not be out wandering, with hunting season being very close. And I have never seen a feral cat looking so well fed. So, still up to speculation, I think that we have a new community member in Leelanau County!
Comment by Joann Keyes — October 9, 2009 @ 10:31 am
I know vineyard and farm owners North of Leland and Suttons Bay who have often seen Cougars around the farms. It is not a myth. They are around.
Comment by Lorrie Simmons — October 19, 2009 @ 2:54 pm
From John Flesher of the Traverse City Record-Eagle:
Comment by farlane — November 5, 2009 @ 1:02 pm