Florida panther gave birth to 3 kittens, officials say. Then, tragedy quickly struck

Two endangered Florida panther kittens were snatched from their den and killed in brutal fashion, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports.

Humans pose the greatest threat to Florida panthers, but this was something different.

Best guess: a bear or perhaps another panther killed the kittens while their mom was away hunting, according to Dave Onorato, a research scientist with FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

“The kittens were recovered near the area where the natal den site was. Evidence was consistent with predation (bones crushed),” he told McClatchy News.

“Infanticide is documented in most puma populations, including panthers. ... By killing the kittens, the theory is the female will go into estrous sooner and then the male can reproduce with that female to produce young that are directly related to him. How do males know a litter of kittens is not theirs before committing infanticide? That is a question that is hard to answer.”

It’s suspected the two kittens were taken at the same time by the same predator, he said.

The killing was discovered Sept. 3 in the Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area, about a 120-mile drive northwest from Miami, FWC officials say.

State biologists had visited the three kittens — two females and a male — in August when they were a few weeks old and did a “work up” that included biopsies and microchips.

The male and one female were killed at just 4.5 weeks old, the state says.

Only 32% of Florida panther kittens survive their first year, the FWC says. Researchers haven’t determined the leading cause of death, but predation is common, Onorato said.

The primary cause of fatalities among adult Florida panthers is car collisions, the state says.

“Kittens can be vulnerable at a young age and unable to defend themselves by climbing,” Onorato said.

“Every den is a bit different; this one involved multiple chambers, some more hidden than others. But since many predators use smell to find prey, hiding in the den may only go so far.“

State researchers have sampled 524 panther kittens in the past 32 years.

The kittens typically start accompanying their mom on her treks from the den at eight weeks, experts say.

The current estimate for wild Florida panthers is between 120 and 230.

This story was originally published September 12, 2024 at 3:02 AM with the headline "Florida panther gave birth to 3 kittens, officials say. Then, tragedy quickly struck."