There have been 21 confirmed cougar sightings in 2025, according to data from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR maintains a database of confirmed cougar sightings, which shows at least one sighting in every month but August 2025.
A majority of the sightings have been in the Western Upper Peninsula, and the DNR does note that some cougar sightings may be of the same animal by different people who are nearby to one another.
There has also been a confirmed sighting near Paradise and one near Munising. Three of the sightings were on video and 18 were through photographs.
Michigan DNR
The dates of the 2025 sightings have been:
January 14January 17January 18January 27February 19February 25February 26March 6March 12March 15March 31April 15April 22May 15May 23June 16July 24July 27September 1September 21
Here are the number of confirmed cougar sightings by year dating back to 2020, according to DNR data.
2024 – 232023 – 182022 – 152021 – 142020 – 15