CLINTON COUNTY, MI -- The state says it has confirmed the presence of a cougar in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says the cougar was photographed near the Rose Lake State Wildlife Area in Bath Township by a 21-year old Haslett man in the early hours of June 21.

The man spotted the cougar in his headlights as it attempted to cross a road. He took a photograph as the cougar turned back from the road into an area of thick vegetation.

Where it came from isn't known, but the DNR says it's the first time the large cat species has been verified in lower Michigan.

The DNR won't release the road name where the cougar was photographed, citing a request for privacy among neighbors.

Questions about the animal's origins remain unanswered, said Kevin Swanson, DNR wildlife specialist and member of the agency's Cougar Team, which has been investigating the sighting since June 26.

The DNR maintains there is not a breeding population in Michigan despite 36 cougar sightings that have been documented in the Upper Peninsula since 2008. Cougars were native to Michigan, but were wiped out in the early 1900s.

Poached cougars in the U.P. have been genetically linked to mountain lion populations out west, Swanson said.

Bath-based Michigan Wildlife Conservancy has long argued that cougars experienced a resurgence in the state in the 1950s and are present in lower Michigan. The group has property near where the sighting occurred, which Swanson called a coincidence.

"There is no way for us to know if this animal is a dispersing transient from a western state, like cougars that have been genetically tested from the Upper Peninsula, or if this cat was released locally," he said.

Swanson said no other evidence of the cougar besides the photo was discovered by DNR field biologist Chad Fedewa. No tracks, predation or food caches were found.

Based on field measurements and the photo, the cat is believed to be at least four feet long, he said.

If the cougar is transient, it could be 100 miles away already, he said. It wouldn't be the first time a transient cougar visited Michigan. In 2011, a cougar passed through the U.P. on a multi-state tour that ended with its death in Connecticut.

Swanson said he's heard nothing from wildlife managers on states bordering Michigan or to the west about cougar sightings.

"It's very surprising to confirm one near Lansing," he said. "It's such an urbanized area. You'd never expect to see a cougar like that."

On its website, the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy identified the man who photographed the cougar as Joseph Warner.

The organization says Warner brought them the photo on June 23 and measurements made by conservancy wildlife director Patrick Rusz indicate the cat was "more than 7 feet long."

"The organization strongly disputes the notion held by the DNR that all cougars in Michigan are either former pets or wanderers from South Dakota or other Western states," said the conservancy website.

The DNR is encouraging landowners in the area to put up trail cameras and is asking local citizens to submit any sightings to this DNR website. If physical evidence like scat, tracks or a carcass is found, do not disturb the area and keep the evidence intact. Please include any photos with a report.

Cougars are protected under the state Endangered Species Act and cannot be harmed except to protect human life.

The DNR says the odds of encountering a cougar in the wild are very small, and attacks on humans are extremely rare. Should you encounter a cougar, the DNR advises the following steps:

- Face the animal and do not act submissive. Stand tall, wave your arms and talk in a loud voice.

- Never run from a cougar or other large carnivore. If children are present, pick them up so they cannot run.

- Do not crouch and get on all fours.

- If attacked, fight back with whatever is available. Do not play dead.

- Report the encounter to local authorities and the DNR as soon as possible.