The Arrival of the Big Cats

Photo Credit - Michigan Department of Natural Resources

When I planned my September trip to the Upper Peninsula, one of my goals was to search for the elusive cougar that had been seen in the area where I was to stay. I had no expectation of success as these great cats are secretive and not fond of human interaction.

So when I received an email from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources about three verifiable cougar sightings, I was thrilled. As I read the press release I was astounded to learn that two of the cougars wore radio collars, a device not used on cougars in Michigan. DNR officials noted that North and South Dakota are the closest two states to utilize the collars on cougars. Considering that the Dakotas are between 500 and 700 miles from the Upper Peninsula, those two cougars traveled a great distance to arrive at their present locations.

Intrigued, I pulled out my Michigan Mammals book (Rollin H. Baker, Michigan State University Press) and read the section on cougars. The book explained that the juvenile cougar is highly mobile, for resident male and female cougars tend to remain in their original territories. But the cougar roaming distances discussed in Michigan Mammals were 25 miles or more. Five to seven hundred miles is significantly more than the distances discussed.

That leads me to ask the question, why have those Dakota cougars travelled such a long distance from their home territory? As with most predators, food availability is often the determining factor in where a cougar will situate itself. With its abundance of whitetail deer and sparse human population centers, the Upper Peninsula would be an ideal location for any cougar to reside. It makes me wonder if whether the cougars traveled east to find adequate food supplies and to avoid the depredation by ranchers who blame the cats for the killing of their livestock. Agriculture and cattle ranching are major industries in the Dakotas, leaving little doubt that the cougar is an unwelcome guest in those states.

Whatever the reason for their relocation, the cougar, like the wolf, is a key player in maintaining ecosystem balance. As top predators, the cougar regulates the deer and small game populations naturally. Without the cougar, overpopulation of prey animals can result. Too many prey animals can cause excessive feeding on trees and other vegetation and starvation will drive prey animals into residential areas in search of food.

Whatever the reasons behind the arrival of the Dakota cougars, I am glad to see that someone had the opportunity to see them in the wild. Perhaps one day I too will get the same chance.

Press Release - Michigan DNR verifies three Upper Peninsula cougar photos - Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Nov. 28, 2012; Contact: Adam Bump, 517-373-1263, bumpa@michigan.gov; or Debbie Munson Badini, 906-226-1352, munsonbadinid@michigan.gov

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153--290552--,00.html