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February 12, 2006Researchers find no sign of cougarsBut some insist they've seen the big cats in areaTRAVERSE CITY - They found signs of bobcat, coyote, red fox, river otter, mink, weasel, and red squirrel, but no cougar, National Park Service officials said.A fruitless search for cougars at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is the latest chapter in a tug-of-war over whether cougars roam northern lower Michigan. Researchers used motion-sensing cameras stationed around the park, investigated reports of sightings and studied animal tracks, but found no evidence of cougars, according to findings released Friday. Nonetheless, visitors to the park are still greeted with signs that warn cougars have been spotted and suggest tips for what to do in case of a cougar encounter. "This doesn't introduce any new information," said Dennis Fijalkowski, executive director of the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy, an organization that for years has attempted to prove the presence of wild cougars in Michigan. Fijalkowski noted the research results discuss information that was collected in late 2004 and early 2005. Fijalkowski believes the announcement could be a prelude to removing cougar warning signs from the park. "They are under intense pressure from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to get those signs down. Those signs are an embarrassment to the MDNR," Fijalkowski said. He said the signs are the only ones on public land east of the Great Plains that warn of predatory mammals. The DNR maintains there is no breeding population in Michigan and that cougars spotted in the state were raised in captivity. Steve Yancho, the National Park Service official who issued the press release, could not be reached for comment. Rangers at the park service said Saturday they had not heard of plans to remove the warning signs. The survey was prompted by numerous reports of cougar sightings from the public, particularly in Benzie County. Seven motion-sensing cameras were placed in 30 locations thought likely to catch a passing cat, and researchers placed deer carcasses to lure them, but in over 863 nights of taping the cameras caught no sign of a cougar. Snow track surveys also found evidence of other animals, but not cougars. The researchers also investigated five sightings of cougars or their tracks. They determined people likely saw bobcats, coyotes, and, in one case, a dog. The park service said biologists continue to maintain a database of reported cougar sightings. Cougars have a 200-square mile home range and are not likely to be found in a study like the one conducted by the park service, said Dr. Patrick Rusz, director of wildlife programs for the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy. He said trail cameras don't catch cougars because the cats prefer to feast on food they kill rather than a rotting carcass. "Even where they have lots of cougars, they don't have a high success rates with trail cameras," Rusz said. Rusz also believes researchers looked for cougars in the wrong place - the cats are less likely to be in the park in the winter and more likely to follow the deer population to private land in the Platte River swamp, he said. Lois Anderson is one of many Benzie County residents who believe they spotted a cougar. The National Park Service study doesn't change her mind. She said she was with her daughter and 11-year-old grandson four or five years ago on a summer evening on Cooper Road in Benzie County's Lake Township. The retired high school biology teacher said she spotted an animal in the distance. "As soon as it moved, it was obvious it was a cat, so I said, 'Oh, it was a bobcat,'" Anderson said. "It just casually walked into the woods and its tail was longer than its body, and even my grandson said, 'That's no bobcat.'" The cougar's long tail distinguishes it from bobcats, which have stubby tails. Anderson has not seen one of the big cats again, although she remains hopeful. "It was quite exciting. I've been looking ever since," she said. "I carry my camera around but I haven't seen one since."
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