News Release:
Florida Panther Family Returned To Wild
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved through FWC's website.
In a rare happy ending story, a female panther, injured by a car in Naples, FL, in December, 2017, was returned to the wild, along with two of her kittens, on April 10 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). FWC biologists suspected the panther’s kittens were near where their mother was injured and set up cameras to locate the young animal panthers. Two male kittens were photographed and captured immediately, then transferred to the White Oak Conservation Foundation where their mother was recuperating from surgery on her broken leg.
“Typically, orphaned kittens still dependent on their mothers need to be kept in captivity until they can survive on their own,” Darrell Land, FWC panther team leader, said in a press release. “However in this case, the mother can continue to raise her kittens, teaching them the required survival and social skills they would not receive in captivity.” This is the first time the FWC has rescued, rehabilitated and released a family group of FL panthers. People can help with panther research by reporting panther sightings and uploading photos and videos to the FWC at MyFWC.com/PantherSightings. To report dead or injured panthers, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on a cellphone. For more information on Florida panthers, click here.
The complete press release can be found at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission bulletin right here.