Michigan DNR verifies U.P. cougars

MENOMINEE, Mich. (AP) - The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has verified three recent photos of cougars taken by trail cameras in the Upper Peninsula.

The DNR said Wednesday that two of the photos were taken in October in Menominee County, one near Cedar River and one near Menominee, just north of the Wisconsin border. The third picture was from Marquette County in November.

The Menominee County shots showed a cougar with a radio collar, while the cougar in Marquette County didn't have one.

The DNR doesn't put radio collars on cougars. It says North Dakota and South Dakota are the nearest states where wildlife researchers have placed radio collars on cougars to track their movement.

The DNR hasn't been able to determine the origin of the radio-collared cougar that's in Michigan.

It has verified the presence of cougars in the U.P. 20 times since 2008.

• Click here to learn more about or report cougars in Michigan