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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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A buzz has taken root among locals in Duluth, northeastern Minnesota, as at least three separate cougar sightings have been reported in as many weeks.
Local business owner Ryan Grumdahl was notified by his security cameras of an unusual sighting on Sunday morning.
Checking the cameras at the Les Grumdahl Window and Siding property in the Kenwood neighborhood, he was shocked to see a cougar walking across the path.
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"I knew it was [a cougar], as I have seen them previously while hunting in western states," Grumdahl told Newsweek. "I shared the video with Minnesota Conservation Officer Kip Duncan, who confirmed it was a mountain lion."
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"We have timber wolves, whitetail deer, moose, and bobcats around here, so to get a mountain lion sighting is crazy," he added.
The video system recorded the animal at 4:42 a.m. on August 20, showing the large feline strolling past the camera.
The cougar, also known as a mountain lion or puma, is a wild cat native to the Americas. Known for agility, strength and elusive nature, they are solitary predators.
With distinctive red-brown coats and long tails, they are skilled hunters who feed on a series of prey including deer, elk, rabbits and rodents.
Generally known to avoid human interactions, cougars present in urban or suburban areas isn't unheard of, but thanks to their reclusive nature they aren't prone to attacking humans.
But this isn't the first sighting in Duluth this month. In fact, three sightings have been reported in the last three weeks.
Another video posted on social media site Reddit appears to show a cougar walking through a residential backyard in Kenwood just two days ago.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) team member Dan Stark told Newsweek: "We had one about 8 miles west of the one that was reported in the Kenwood area back on August 2. That could very well be the same one."
The third sighting was shared on Facebook last week and was around 10 miles from the other sightings, leaving the DNR team to assume that it must be a different cat "because that's a lot of ground to cover in a day," explained Stark.
Duluth is the fourth-most populated city in the state, sitting on the western tip of Lake Superior the city meets rolling hills and lake shorelines, cougars are not native to the state.
In the early 20th century, the cats were declared locally extinct in Minnesota, but there have been verified and unverified reports of sightings in the state in recent years.
Stark explained that the number of reports in recent weeks is "pretty standard" for the time of year, although it is more common to see the cats in more remote locations.
"Occurrences of cougars in Minnesota are generally based on trail cameras or photos or some type of physical evidence. We don't keep track of of sightings without evidence," said Stark.
"We've been documenting the cases with evidence since 2004, and through October of 2022 we had about 73 sightings. Most of those are trail camera photos, but we have also found several dead cougars, either hit by cars or just found deceased," he explained.
"Encounters are pretty rare, but we do have recommendations," said Stark. "Make sure that you keep your pets nearby, don't let them roam or leave them out unattended. And if you do encounter a cougar, you should face it directly, make yourself look bigger.
"Hold your arms above your head, wave a hat or jacket and talk loudly and firmly," he said. "Even throwing rocks or sticks in the direction of the animal," he added.
Stark reiterated that there was little to be concerned about: "Look at examples in western states like California, there are many cougars that live in and around people," he said. "I don't think people need to be concerned, you know, they're likely focused on wild prey."
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