WESTON, Wis. (WSAW) – A Nebraska cougar was captured on camera passing through a Weston family’s backyard early Wednesday morning, marking the latest stop in the two-year-old male’s journey across the upper Midwest.
Chad Oldham discovered cougar tracks in his yard and reviewed security footage that showed the 120-pound cat crossing his property at 2:30 a.m.
“Came up our trail, hooked around the side of the house, and I don’t know where it went from there, so it actually crossed two cameras,” Oldham said. “It’s pretty cool to see it. It’s a very big, majestic animal, but it is kind of shocking and a little bit scary to think it might be out in the woods in the middle of the night. We bought it for the woods because it’s a nice wooded lock, but didn’t think there’d be this kind of wildlife here.”
The cougar originally had a tracking collar placed on it in Nebraska, but that collar no longer works. The cat was spotted in Duluth in December and in Eau Claire a few weeks ago before appearing in Weston.
Randy Johnson, a large carnivore specialist for the Wisconsin DNR, said the agency has been following this cougar for months.
“It’s doing what we’ve seen, you know, pretty much all of our other mountain lions or cougar observations to be, which is these young males moving through as they search out for territory or a mate eventually,” Johnson said.
The cougar has a collar, and the DNR says it has been on quite a journey, coming all the way from Nebraska
Wisconsin typically sees only a couple dozen cougar sightings per year, usually involving the same one or two cats. The DNR said this cougar’s behavior is typical and it was just passing through the area.
“These guys are very good at staying hidden and really want nothing to do with people,” Johnson said. “You know, if you’re in that immediate area, I think it’s worthwhile to just keep your pets, keep an eye on your pets. Um, you know this cat has not had any record of causing issues.”
The DNR does not know where the cougar is headed next, but said the animal is trying to move away from populated areas.
Oldham said he will continue monitoring his security cameras and watching for the animal.
“Large cat, so it’s very concerning. But it was seen at night, so hopefully we don’t see it again during the day,” Oldham said. “It is kind of shocking and a little bit scary to think it might be out in the woods in the middle of the night.”
The DNR reminds residents that cougars are protected animals and asks people to report all sightings to the agency.
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