First Cougar Kittens Documented in Minnesota in Over a Century

In northern Minnesota, trail cameras have revealed the first confirmed evidence of cougars reproducing in over 100 years. Filmed in late March close to Voyageurs National Park, the footage shows a female cougar with three large kittens. This video was recorded by the University of Minnesota's Voyageurs Wolf Project, which had previously identified lone cougars on eight occasions since 2023, but never with offspring. Researchers set up cameras near a GPS-collared deer thought to have been preyed upon by a cougar, capturing around four hours of video. Project leader Thomas Gable described the experience as surreal. John Erb, a biologist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, estimated the kittens to be 7–9 months old, born last fall. Prior to this, the only confirmed kittens in Minnesota were from a captivity escape in 2001. Although cougars once thrived in the state, they went extinct locally. Recent sightings in both Michigan and Minnesota suggest they might be making a comeback, yet Erb cautioned that the kittens face threats from wolves, male cougars, and vehicles. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources notes that cougars can travel over 40 miles a day, indicating that the ones spotted are likely migrating from western states.