00:29 Rare Female Florida Panther Spotted Cameras capture a female Florida panther and it could be a big deal for the survival of the endangered species.

At a Glance A female Florida panther was spotted on the north side of the state's Caloosahatchee River for the first time in 43 years.

The discovery is important because male panthers live on the north side of the river, which is located in southwestern Florida.

Experts are hopeful that this will allow the endangered species to breed and grow its population, which has dwindled for years.

Wildlife experts were thrilled when they recently saw something that hadn't been seen in more than 40 years: a female Florida panther on the northern side of the Caloosahatchee River.

The river has long been the northern end of where the females from these endangered creatures reside , according to the Tampa Bay Times. Biologists had been monitoring a panther that was seen on trail camera footage on the other side of this southwestern Florida waterway, and although the video was inconclusive as to the sex of the cat, it helped them find paw prints that were determined to be female, the report added.

"This is a big deal for panther conservation ," said Kipp Frohlich, deputy director for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's habitat and species conservation division, in a statement. "An expansion of the panther's breeding range should improve the prospects for recovery."

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The news is a breakthrough for conservationists. It's believed that fewer than 100 Florida panthers remain in the wild , and they've been classified as an endangered species. Allowing these animals to breed and grow their territory will be key to keeping them alive for generations , NPR reported.

Now, for the first time since 1973, experts have proof it'll be possible to allow these animals to breed in the wild.

"Florida panthers are part of our state heritage. They’re our state animal," said Kipp Frohlich, deputy division director for Habitat and Species Conservation, in a statement. "We want to ensure these majestic animals are here for future generations of Floridians. Female panthers moving north of the river on their own is a big step toward this goal."

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