Posted at: 11/03/2009 9:37 PM
By: Becky Nahm

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Cougar Controversy: Are the Big Cats Breeding in Minn.?

Cougars, also known as mountain lions or pumas, have been spotted in Minnesota. But there's disagreement over whether the big cats have moved in or are only passing through.

There certainly appear to be cougars in Minnesota.

Minnesota trail cameras have snapped pictures of big cats. A security camera caught a picture of a cougar in Plymouth.

One month ago, three incidents that seemed to indicate cougar activity were reported within days of each other. Two came from Eagan and one from Shakopee.

On October 2, Eagan parks employee Alex Lamers saw a cougar at Blackhawk Park.

Lamers said, "It looked at me and stared at me the whole time I was staring at it."

Days before Lamers' sighting, Eagan police found evidence of a cougar on their gun range.

"We'd got a deer carcass and some feces that looked like it may belong to a cougar," said Karen Grimm with the Eagan Police Department.

Around the same time, a retired race horse named Deke was severely injured in Shakopee.

The veterinarian who treated Deke believed the injuries were caused by claw marks.

Dr. Jennifer Selvig said, "I believe it was a cougar, a mountain lion, whatever you want to call it. I do think that's probably what it was."

The official position of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is that the animals do wander into Minnesota, but there is no evidence that they are breeding here.

The DNR's Steve Merchant said, "We do know that we get these occasional animals wandering through. those typically are young males."

DNR officials discount some reported sightings for a lack of physical evidence.

In the case of Deke the horse, DNR officials did not concur with Selvig's conclusion that the animal's injuries were caused by a cougar.

Bob Bilger, a cougar consultant, thinks the DNR is downplaying the presence of cougars in Minnesota.

He believes there are at least 200 animals in the state and that they are breeding here.

Bilger said, "Maybe they're riding the theory that they don't want people to panic."

If you encounter a cougar, police suggest making yourself look bigger. Open your jacket or raise your arms. You can also throw rocks at the cougar. Never runaway, turn away or bend down.