Erin homeowner says DNR biologist confirmed he captured a cougar on trail camera

Possible cougar in Erin

Erin, Wis.

ERIN -- A man in Erin, Wisconsin checked his trail camera Saturday morning, March 24 and shared with FOX6 News photos that appear to show a large cat on his property near Druid Lake and Hall in Erin. He contacted FOX6 News on Monday, March 26 and said a DNR biologist was out at his property and confirmed his trail camera did capture a confirmed cougar.

Alex Gintner said the DNR biologist said "she is fairly certain it is just a single male looking for a mate."

Gintner said one of the images he captured is from March 12, and the second image, and the video he captured via his trail camera are from Friday, March 23:

Possible cougar in Erin, Wis., captured by Alex Gintner

Alex Gintner

Gintner said he's going to be more cautious about letting his kids play outside. He told FOX6 News Sunday he believed his cameras may have potentially captured two cougars -- but again, the DNR biologist told him she believes it's a single male looking for a mate.

"The kids are definitely freaked out," said Gintner.

He said he owns 32 acres and has trail cameras set up around his property. He frequently captures coyotes, deer, turkeys and other wildlife. He said he hadn't checked the footage in weeks, and he was surprised to see what he saw in his footage on Saturday morning.

"It's pretty amazing we got the cougar twice on camera within 11 days of each other," said Gintner.

Possible cougar in Erin (PHOTO: Alex Gintner)

Gintner told FOX6 News over the weekend he reached out to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources -- filling out their online Large Mammal Observation Form as DNR officials have asked people to do should anyone spot something like this.

Possible cougar in Erin, Wis., captured by Alex Gintner

Erin, Wis.

You'll recall, DNR officials just last week, on March 21, confirmed a cougar that was captured on a trail camera in Colgate on March 13.

That photo was shared with FOX6 News by Kelly W. She said it was captured just north of Highway Q in Colgate. Kelly said the image was captured around 9 p.m. on March 13, in a wooded area on her property.

Possible cougar spotted in Colgate (Credit: Kelly W. & Kyle W.)

CLICK HERE to access information regarding confirmed cougar sightings in 2018 via the DNR's website.