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November 2, 2001Foundation says evidence of cougars exists-Tests established the presence of cougars at four sites in the U.P. and two in the Lower PeninsulaBy TOM CARRRecord-Eagle staff writer FIFE LAKE - Claims of cougar sightings that used to crop up from time to time around here have just graduated from Bigfoot-Loch Ness mythology to reality. The Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundation says it has biological proof that cougars live in remote areas of Michigan, including the Fife Lake and Kalkaska areas, a claim that has been a long-debated question among scientists and outdoor enthusiasts. "That shocks me," said Pat Gibson, owner of Gibson's Hardware in Fife Lake. "This spring, a customer said a large cat had mauled his dog. We thought it was probably a coyote or something. We wouldn't even begin to think it was anything like that." The private foundation published a report last March in support of the theory that Michigan is home to wildcats and conducted field tests over the summer. They produced what they called "indisputable physical evidence," including tracks and droppings that DNA tests confirmed had come from cougars, said Patrick Rusz, the group's director of wildlife programs, who has a doctorate in wildlife ecology. The reactions of area residents are mixed. Kevin Kimball, manager of Kimball's Super Market, said the news is "cool." "It's wildlife and it just makes the area a little more diversified," he said. David Gonyer of Fife Lake said he's not concerned because he doesn't have any animals or children. "Probably some people are going to be scared, though," he said. Rusz conceded he and his fellow researchers never saw any big cats, but insisted there was "no ambiguity at all in our findings. It's as airtight a case as you'll ever get." The foundation's tests established the presence of cougars at four sites in the Upper Peninsula and two in the Lower Peninsula, Rusz said. He speculated that up to 30 wildcats live in the U.P. and perhaps half as many in the Lower Peninsula. That doesn't surprise Tom Gray, supervisor of Springfield Township in Kalkaska County and an avid hunter who said he's seen them while hunting out West. "I've never seen a cougar or their tracks here," he said. "But it seems like every year, there's someone who thinks they've seen one," he said. "I've never doubted that what they've seen are cougars." "People buy cougar cubs and when they grow up and get to be 200 pounds, they get rid of them," he added. "They come up north in a pickup and turn them loose." The group's report, released Thursday, disputes that notion, describing the cougars as a "resident breeding population." That means it's unlikely they live elsewhere and wander occasionally into Michigan, or that they were raised as domestic pets and released into the wild, Rusz said. The last recorded cougar kill in Michigan was in 1906 in Chippewa County, and many wildlife officials have said the species probably was extinct in the state. Citizens continued to report sightings throughout the century, but often were ridiculed by state biologists who "treated cougar reports like Bigfoot sightings or tales of alien spaceships," Rusz said. "They assumed the animals seen were dogs, wolves, bears, fishers or bobcats." He said the absence of a "smoking gun" such as a carcass or a live, trapped cat was understandable, given the cougars' rarity and elusiveness. Brad Wurfel, spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources, said Wednesday the agency wasn't ruling out the existence of cougars but still awaited proof. "We don't have any evidence on which to base a firm yes or no," he said. DNR biologists are eager to study the habitat foundation's findings, said Ray Rustem, natural heritage supervisor for the Wildlife Division. The foundation is scheduled to make a presentation to the Natural Resources Commission next week. Gray said he's not concerned about there being cougars in the area, but added that it's just one more predator that could potentially damage the deer population. "We've got enough wildlife here with coyotes and foxes and black bears," he said. He also said that if the cats get too numerous, they might have to allow them to be hunted so they'll continue to fear man. The foundation team, led by Rusz, focused its search on areas where there have been persistent sighting claims. Among them: a 33-mile stretch of beach, dunes and inland roads near Seul Choix Point in Schoolcraft and Mackinac counties; the Stonington Peninsula in Delta County; and the Black River area of Cheboygan County. Some of the strongest evidence was collected in the Seul Choix area, Rusz said. The researchers found cougar tracks; remains of deer that had been killed, dragged away and partially devoured; and feces, or "scat." Photos of the deer kill sites and carcasses were sent to Harley Shaw, a former cougar specialist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, who said they were "consistent with a cougar deer kill in every aspect and detail," the foundation's report said. Scat samples were analyzed at the Wyoming Game and Fish Laboratory in Laramie. DNA testing found that at least some came from cougars, the report said. Prints or scat were found in the other sites as well, including Houghton County and an area near Fife Lake in Kalkaska and Wexford counties, Rusz said. He said he hoped the group's findings would spur additional research into questions such as the cats' numbers, habits and physical condition. - On the Net: Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundation: http:/www.mwhf.org/ - The Associated Press contributed to this report |
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