Rescued Florida panther released into wild

Chad Gillis, The (Fort Myers, Fla.) News-Press | USATODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Florida panther released into the wild A 2-year old Florida panther was released back into the wild April 3 at Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area in southern Palm Beach County.

At one point%2C Florida had as few as 2 dozen of these big cats in the wild

Now the population has rebounded to 100%2C maybe as many as 160

Panther 223 was released about 50 miles from birthplace so he wouldn%27t compete with other males

ROTENBERGER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA, Fla. — When Florida Panther 223 last roamed the wilds he was just a kitten, but the 2-year-old male was released in Palm Beach County, marking the sixth successful rehab and release of a big cat in Florida's history.

The young male was found in Collier County nearly two years ago after a vehicle hit and killed his mother, Panther 188. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists had documented and handled this panther, as well as a female from the same litter, several weeks before the mother was killed. After retrieving the mother, Fish and Wildlife biologists rescued the cubs. The female was released in rural Collier County last month.

"It's gratifying to give this cat a chance that he probably would have never had if we hadn't collared his mother," state panther biologist Darrell Land said. "He followed the script."

The script Land referred to is how the panther acted once freed from its wood and metal enclosure Wednesday. Flanked by biologists and, in the distance, media, the 123-pounder slowly made his way from the cage before galloping hundreds of feet along a dirt road in Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area.

Sporting both a GPS collar and an ear tag for tracking, the panther disappeared into a thick maple tree canopy within seconds of being released.

Once numbering only 25 to 30 adults in the wild, Florida panthers have grown to a population of 100 to 160, according to state and federal wildlife biologists.

Commissioner Ron Bergeron of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said he was excited to see a panther rehabilitated and released in an area nearly void of big cats a few decades ago.

"It was headed toward extinction," Bergerson said, reflecting back on the population in the 1970s and '80s. "It's still a very sensitive population today."

Not all at Wednesday's release were glad to see Panther 223 prance off into the wilderness.

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John Rosier, president of Fulltrack Conservation Club of Dade County, said he fears panthers may be used as a political tool to further restrict hunting in south Florida.

"Every time that a panther is found in an area, we worry because it has been used in the past to kick us out," he said of hunters. "A lot of people I know are opposed to this."

Male panthers are notorious for fighting to the death. While females are much more tolerant of other females, males are extremely territorial and will not allow a smaller, younger panther to move into their range.

Panther 223 likely won't have to fend off a sizable male any time soon if he stays in the 45-square-mile Rotenberger area. Collier County, where he was found, has a 41-square-mile Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge about 20 miles east of Naples, Fla.

"This (Rotenberger) area doesn't have many of those dominant males, so that's one reason why we chose this location," Bergeron said.

Florida panther populations were bolstered after a 1997 introduction of female Texas cougars expanded the once-shrinking genetic pool. Those cats were removed from south Florida years ago, and Land said this male likely has very little Texas cougar, if any, in its makeup.

State biologists took DNA samples of Panther 223 before releasing him and will study those results to learn more about the animal's genetics.

The young male is now free roaming and could chose to stay in Palm Beach County, flee to the center of the state or even head as far north as Georgia. Biologists have taken precautions to ensure that the big cat isn't habituated to humans.

When rehabilitating cubs, biologists start the process by feeding them kitten food before moving on to animals. The panthers live in a fenced area several acres in size and must show the ability to capture and kill prey before being returned to the wild.

Releasing a rehabilitated panther is a rare event because most panthers that end up at state facilities have been mortally wounded in a vehicle collision, like Panther 223's mother. Most of the panthers die at the scene although some live several hours to a few days. In 2012, 17 of 25 documented panther deaths were from vehicle collisions; in 2011, nine of 24 deaths came from collisions.

These cubs were rescued because state biologists had documented them before the mother died and were able to retrieve both cubs afterward. They briefly escaped their enclosure in this past fall after winds from Hurricane Sandy knocked a tree into their fence but were recaptured.

They do have some concept, though, of who or what has been taking care of them in the past 20 months.

"The cats aren't stupid," Land said. "They know people are around peripherally, but they never see us."