MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Genetic testing shows a large cat seen in the Milton area of Rock County is likely the first wild cougar confirmed in Wisconsin in a century, and it probably migrated from South Dakota.

Wildlife experts from the Department of Natural Resources say genetic analysis from a blood and urine sample gave evidence the cougar apparently came from the Black Hills population of the big cats, migrating some 700 miles to southern Wisconsin.

DNR mammal ecologist Adrian Wydeven says the genetic analysis and the fact the cougar shies away from humans point to the cat being wild.

Recent pawprints found in Walworth County are believed to be from the same cougar spotted 23 miles away in the town of Milton in January. It's believed to be a young male, weighing about 120 pounds.

According to DNR records, the last wild cougar disappeared from Wisconsin in the early 1900s.

Wydeven says the wild cougar population could be on the rebound, just as the wolf population was in the 1970s when wolves from Minnesota began migrating into Wisconsin and establishing packs. The DNR estimates Wisconsin now has around 550 wolves.