I’ve been hearing a few anecdotes lately of people seeing a big brown cat, bigger than a bobcat, roaming around in the northeast sort of in the vicinity of Marinette, even crossing roads and such. At least one of my coworkers claims to have seen a black one “way bigger than a bobcat” in the treeline outside her house.
I know the wolves have been coming back over the past couple of decades, but does anybody know the official status of cougars in the Upper Great Lakes region?
Yes, there have been cougars from time to time in Wisconsin. And you are correct there was one captured on trail cam in Marinette County in May 2023.
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/WildlifeHabitat/cougar