For the first time in over 100 years, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) confirmed evidence of reproducing cougar populations within Minnesota. The confirmation comes after the Minnesota Voyageurs Wolf Project (VWP) captured trail camera footage in March 2026 of a female cougar and three large "kittens" south of Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota. Cougars were once native to Minnesota but became locally extinct, the MN DNR said in a release. 

According to the VWP, the video capture, which was released on its Facebook page on April 30, was the result of a research project designed to track winter deer survival rates. In January 2026, the VWP team had GPS-collared several deer, and on March 25, a signal indicated a collared deer had died south of Voyageurs National Park.

Researchers went to the deer's location and, upon arrival, noticed the carcass hidden under a pile of leaves. The Voyageurs Wolf Project said that this was a "telltale sign of feline predation." While the team initially expected to find a bobcat, they placed two trail cameras at the site. Just four hours later, two cougar kittens were recorded returning to the kill.

“Based on traits observed in the video, we estimate the kittens to be 7-9 months old, so born last fall,” said John Erb, research biologist with the Minnesota DNR. “The only other confirmed kittens in Minnesota turned out to be captive escapees and involved a female with two kittens that showed up and hung around a homeowner’s porch in 2001.”

The cameras eventually captured a female cougar and three large kittens as they fed and interacted. Over the course of the evening, the VWP recorded hours of video, describing it as their "best trail camera capture yet," noting that the footage includes rare audio of the animals' vocalizations.

“Looking at the footage was and still is surreal. We never anticipated seeing four cougars together in northern Minnesota,” said Thomas Gable, project lead of the Voyageurs Wolf Project. “In total, we captured around four hours of footage of this cougar family at the kill, and it was fascinating to see and hear their interactions — the mother grooming her kittens, the kittens growling and hissing at each other. We feel incredibly fortunate we were able to capture such a wild moment in such detail.”

Historically, cougar sightings in the state have been confirmed as lone, wandering animals. According to the MN DNR, most verified reports over the last several decades involved "transient males" traveling long distances from Western states like South Dakota or Nebraska.

However, this new evidence of kittens resulted in the MN DNR stating in a press release that this is "the first documented observation of a cougar with kittens in Minnesota in modern history." 

Moving forward, the DNR said it will continue to monitor the area to determine the extent of the cougar presence. 

“Although this is an important starting point for potential population establishment in Minnesota, predicting the future is extremely difficult,” Erb said. “These kittens might not survive, potentially getting killed by wolves, a male cougar or vehicles. They may also become part of the founding catalyst for a slow but steady increase in numbers. Time will tell, but we are clearly nearing a point where the probability of a self-sustaining population has increased.”