Cougars reported at University of Michigan

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ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 23 (UPI) -- Police at the University of Michigan said officers were unable to find any trace of a pair of suspected cougars reported near campus.

University police said a caller around 8:30 a.m. Thursday reported spotting a tan cougar near the North Campus along Hubbard Road and responding officers were unable to find tracks or any other sign of the animal, The Detroit News reported Friday.

Police said a second caller around 3:30 p.m. reported a black cougar-like animal in the same area, but officers were again unable to find any trace of the reported feline.

"The likelihood of these two sightings being connected is very limited," said Diane Brown, a campus police spokeswoman.

Officials with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said there have been no confirmed cougar sightings in the state's Lower Peninsula.

"We have a lot of things that have been mistaken for cougars," said Adam Bump, a wildlife biologist with the DNR's cougar team. "Some of the more common ones are coyotes, maybe bobcats or even domestic cats from a distance."