A Cougar in VNP

A cat of unusual size was spotted earlier this week making its way through Voyageurs National Park.

A cougar, presumed to be male according to the Voyageurs Wolf Project(VWP), was spotted on the organization’s trail camera on Friday near the Marion Franklin Lake area.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources(DNR), cougars are known to occasionally travel through the Minnesota area.

While the cats were native to the state before European settlement, cougar populations were never in large in Minnesota and have continued to be seen less and less as the years go on.

VWP suggests the cat could be a dispersing male traveling through Minnesota and Michigan; the latest DNR findings show that there are no breeding populations in Minnesota.

Many young cougars will travel, according to the DNR, so they can avoid species neighbors and move more freely in the territory. However, they are unlikely to stay in a spot for long as cougars search for mates.

Because the sight is so rare, the DNR said they are interested in gathering any and all possible cougar sightings that can be proven with a photo or physical evidence.

Anyone who has such observations can submit them to a local wildlife office or conservation officer.

The DNR also warns that no one should intentionally kill a cougar should they come across one, warning that they are a protected species.