confirmed lion on trail cam in northern Wisconsin

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from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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OUTDOORS
2 cougar sightings confirmed in northern Wisconsin
This July 9 photo of a cougar in Langlade County was captured by a landowner via a trailcam. The photo was submitted to the DNR and released to the public Wednesday.
This July 9 photo of a cougar in Langlade County was captured by a landowner via a trailcam. The photo was submitted to the DNR and released to the public Wednesday. Credit: Courtesy of DNR
This July 9, 2015 photo of a cougar in Langlade County, Wis., was captured by a landowner via a trailcam. The photo was submitted to the DNR and released to the public Wednesday.
This July 9, 2015 photo of a cougar in Langlade County, Wis., was captured by a landowner via a trailcam. The photo was submitted to the DNR and released to the public Wednesday.Courtesy of DNR

By Paul A. Smith of the Journal Sentinel

Aug. 05, 2015 0
With big cat sightings swirling through the Wisconsin summer like the tempting, taunting smell of steak and sweet corn on a neighbor's grill, finally something of substance: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday confirmed two cougar sightings in Langlade County.

The animal or animals were captured on trail cameras July 9 about six miles and 20 hours apart in the northern Wisconsin county. Landowners separately turned in the images to the DNR on July 27 and Aug. 3.

Based on a review of the information and visits to the properties by agency personnel, the DNR verified the sightings.

"It's still unusual but not unexpected to have cougars in Wisconsin," said Dave MacFarland, DNR large carnivore specialist. "Everything in these cases allowed us to confirm them as cougars."

While it is likely the two sightings were of the same animal, MacFarland said no cougar DNA or other evidence was found at the properties, making it impossible to say with certainty the number of individual cats involved.

A short video captured in July of a lion-like animal in Milwaukee created a weekslong buzz. And last week, a cougar was reportedly seen in Beloit.

However, no confirmation was made in either case.

Could the Langlade County cougar or cougars have traveled to Milwaukee or Beloit?

"We can't speculate on that, since there is so little information," MacFarland said.

Langlade County is in far northern Wisconsin, northeast of Wausau.

Genetic evidence suggests wild cougars found in Wisconsin are males dispersing from a breeding population in western regions, primarily the Black Hills of South Dakota.

There is no evidence that cougars are breeding in Wisconsin, according to the DNR.

The Langlade County sightings are the first confirmed cougar sightings in Wisconsin this year, MacFarland said. In 2014, there were three. The first confirmed sighting in recent decades was in Rock County in 2008.

The DNR has verified three or more cougar sightings a year in Wisconsin since 2008, MacFarland said. However, many of the sightings are likely of the same animal. Based on genetic evidence, the agency has confirmed at least six individual cougars in the state in the last seven years.

The cougar, also known as mountain lion, catamount and puma, once roamed throughout Wisconsin but was extirpated in the early 1900s, according to state wildlife officials.

The animal preys primarily on deer, squirrels, rabbits and various birds.

With a burgeoning deer population and science-based management limiting the number of cougars killed by humans, the population of cougars in the Black Hills increased in recent decades, leading to more males pushing out of the core territory to find potential mates. Until a female cougar takes up residence in Wisconsin, sightings of the animals in the state are likely to remain fleeting and occasional.

Male cougars can travel long distances in search of mates and new territories. Female cougars have much smaller "dispersal tendencies," MacFarland said.

In one well-documented and highly publicized case, a male mountain lion traveled from the Black Hills, passed through northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and ended up in Connecticut, where it was struck and killed by a vehicle in 2011. Wildlife experts estimate the journey covered more than 1,500 miles and spanned three years.

The species is listed as protected in Wisconsin, and hunting cougars is not allowed. The animals are not considered a threat to public safety, according to the agency.

The DNR passed along the following tips in the unlikely event a human is confronted by a cougar: Face the animal and spread your arms and open your coat or jacket to appear larger. If a cougar approaches, make noise and throw rocks or sticks.

The agency encourages reports of cougars and other unusual animals in Wisconsin on the Rare Animal Observation form.

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About Paul A. Smith
Paul A. Smith covers outdoors and conservation issues.
@mjsps psmith@journalsentinel.com 414-224-2313
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