MICHIGAN "WILD COUGAR SKULL" CAME FROM CAPTIVE ANIMAL NAMED "SASHA"
ECN News, 8/23/04
ECN conducted an independent investigation into the origins of a cougar skull found by woodcutters in Chippewa County, Michigan in 2001. This skull has been cited in numerous press accounts as evidence of a "wild, breeding population" of cougars in Michigan. It was also featured prominently in a July 26, 2004 video released by the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy.
Our investigation revealed that the skull originated from Randy Desormeau’s Northland Taxidermy Shop, which is located adjacent to the property on which the skull was found. In life, the animal was a de-clawed pet female cougar named "Sasha". According to proprietor Randy Desormeau, Sasha was owned by a man on Neebish Island in the St. Mary's River between the eastern end of the Upper Peninsula and Ontario. The owner, who does not want his name made public, bought Sasha from a breeder as a nine-day-old cub. She died from choking on a piece of turkey.
According to Randy’s adult son Brian, the owner had taken Sasha’s carcass to the shop to be mounted. Not realizing he could have asked for the entire skeleton to be returned, Sasha's owner told Randy he could have it. Randy tossed the skull out his back door for the bugs to clean. According to Brian Desormeau, "Something dragged it off." When the story of the "wild" cougar skull hit the local newspaper, Brian said, "we all laughed".
Followers of The Network’s Breaking News Page should not be surprised about the origin of the skull, as we posted an item titled "Michigan Skull Likely Came From Captive Cat" dated October 2002. Linked to this headline was a December 2001 letter to the Rose Lake Wildlife Disease Laboratory from the University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology. Signed by zoologists from both U-M and MSU, the letter states in part, "Given the animal's apparent age, we were surprised at how unworn the animal's cheek-teeth were. . . . This suggests to us (but certainly does not prove) that the animal may have been an escaped captive" (Lundrigan and Myers 2001). This letter can still be viewed on the ECN website at http://www.easterncougarnet.org/michskull.htm.Sasha's skull currently resides at the DNR’s Rose Lake office in Lansing. ECN is working on behalf of the Desormeaus’ to have it returned to them.