An endangered Florida panther rescued as a kitten and raised in captivity has been set free into the wild.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reported on Wednesday (April 3) that staff officials released the sandy-colored, 120-pound panther in the Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area, which borders Palm Beach, Broward and Hendry counties.
FWC biologists determined that the male panther was healthy and had grown to a size that should prepare him for life in the wild.
"To see him run straight like that for such a distance and running free off into the woods makes everything worthwhile," said Dave Onorato, a FWC biologist who opened the panther's crate.
The FWC rescued the panther and its sister as five-month-old kittens in September 2011 in northern Collier County after their mother was found dead.
The animals were then taken to the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, where they were subsequently raised. The panther siblings are now nearly two years old.
“These panthers most likely would not have survived without our intervention and the subsequent support of White Oak staff,” said Darrell Land, FWC panther team leader.
The female panther was successfully released in February in Collier County. Through post-release monitoring, biologists have observed her adapting well and behaving as typical wild female panthers do.
“We are pleased with the progress of the female since her release,” said Land.
“Young males face the additional survival challenge of potential confrontations with older males, but we believe our choice of a release site will minimize the risk of such encounters,” Land added.
Panthers once roamed the entire southeastern U.S., but development has limited their habitat. An estimated 100 to 160 adult and sub-adult endangered panthers remain in southern Florida.
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