It's an exciting time to be a fan of the Minnesota Wild, and we're not just talking about the hockey team. There is video proof that wild cougars are reproducing in the Land of 10,000 Lakes for the first time in over 100 years.
The amazing video was captured by the University of Minnesota's Voyageurs Wolf Project, which noted it is "without a doubt, our best trail camera capture yet." While their cameras are typically searching for wolves, they recently captured hours of footage of a female cougar and her four cubs.
In a post on X, the Voyageurs Wolf Project explained that they had GPS-collared deer in the area to track survival and mortality patterns. When they received a mortality signal in late March, they found a dead deer buried under a pile of leaves, "a tell tale sign of feline predation," they wrote.
Without a doubt, our best trail camera capture yet: the first documented observation of a cougar with kittens in Minnesota in modern history. Turn up the volume to hear all the vocalizations.
— Voyageurs Wolf Project (@VoyaWolfProject) April 30, 2026
The footage, which was captured on March 25, shows a cougar with 3 large kittens while… pic.twitter.com/I4VF7scsy8
The Wolf Project staff then placed two trail cameras near the carcass, and just a few hours later, two cougar kittens returned to the kill, followed by the entire family later that night. In all, the Wolf Project captured over seven hours of footage of these elusive creatures.
"Based on traits observed in the video, we estimate the kittens to be 7-9 months old, so born last fall," research biologist John Erb said in a press release from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Cougars are native to the area but were considered locally extinct due to habitat loss, hunting, trapping, and livestock protection by settlers.
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Even though cougars are now protected in Minnesota, it's impossible to know if these kittens will lead to a rebound in the population, but it's an exciting first step. Apex predators like cougars are considered a keystone species and are essential to a healthy ecosystem.
Cougars help regulate deer and elk populations, reducing grazing, which protects plant biodiversity. It also reduces the time those animals spend browsing along streams and rivers, which protects waterways from drought and flooding. Plus, their kills create food for other animals, supporting a healthy food supply.
"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. "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."
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