Humankind has driven many animals to extinction, from mammoths and thylacines to passenger pigeons. However, some species have only gone locally extinct and can re-emerge in other areas if conditions change.

Cougar cubs have not been documented in Michigan in over 100 years, but state biologists can confirm recent photos officially ended the dry spell. On March 13, Michigan Department of Natural Resources released a trio of images that show a pair of tiny cougars roaming a snowy portion of the Upper Peninsula in Ontonagon County.

The 7- to 9-week-old cubs were found on private land in Ontonagon County in the western Upper Peninsula. A local residents photographed them.