Cougar Found Dead on Tracks | Official Cause Investigation

Investigation Into Cougar Death

A 2-year-old male cougar found on railroad tracks in Adams County, Wisconsin, died from causes that officials cannot confirm. State wildlife authorities discovered the animal on February 9, 2026, after it was struck by a train in the town of Friendship. The collision severed the cat in two, complicating the subsequent investigation into its condition prior to the impact.

Randy Johnson, a large carnivore specialist with the Department of Natural Resources, confirmed that staff performed a necropsy on the animal. Investigators sought to verify if the cougar had been shot, poisoned, or otherwise killed before the train accident. The animal was collared and ear-tagged by wildlife officials in Nebraska in December 2023. While the GPS unit had stopped transmitting location data in the months preceding the death, biologists tracked the animal through trail camera images.

Tracking the Animal's Path

This cougar represents a small, documented movement of young males dispersing from the Dakotas and Nebraska toward the east. While cougars were once native to Wisconsin, the state records them as extirpated since 1908. Despite no known population of wild, reproducing cougars existing in the state today, occurrences remain frequent. Researchers documented the species regularly in Wisconsin over the last two decades. In 2024 and 2025, wild reproduction occurred in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and northern Minnesota, respectively.

All cougars sighted in Wisconsin are believed to be animals migrating from western states. In every case where the sex was identifiable, the animals have been males. This specific cougar had not been reported as a threat to humans or livestock during its journey through the region.

Necropsy Results and Official Stance

Lindsey Long, a wildlife veterinarian with the Department of Natural Resources, conducted the necropsy on March 5, 2026. The findings indicated the animal was likely prone or lying down when the train struck it, suggesting it was already dead before the wheels bisected it. However, the report noted a lack of chest or abdominal trauma consistent with other types of traumatic injury, such as a gunshot wound.

Adding to the uncertainty, the cougar’s heart and lungs were missing from the remains. The liver was intact and submitted for toxicological analysis. Although testers checked for a wide array of possible residues, none were detected in the liver. Due to the lack of evidence, the state officially considers the cause of death as undetermined.

Wildlife officials continue to ask the public to report cougar sightings through the online observation form on the department's website. This form collects details on location, time, date, and description of the animal. They emphasize that photos of animals and tracks are helpful to their research efforts. Photographs of suspected tracks should include a ruler or other measuring tool to provide scale for the evidence.