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Usually, we can only see big cats in sanctuaries and zoos. Lions, tigers, panthers, and other large animals. Did you know you could see a panther in the wild in Florida? Well, now you do! A Florida resident was pretty surprised when they saw a panther kitten all by itself. But the real story is the mother panther and kitten’s long journey.

Florida Panther Kitten and Mother Separated

Florida Panther cub

Panther kitten, screenshot via Fox13

Our story begins when a concerned resident found a small panther kitten alone, and the mom was nowhere in sight. The kitten was only 4 weeks old, and the Floridian brought the kitten to Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC), fearing its mother had abandoned it. Then, Veterinarian Dr. Hollis Stewart, who specializes in big cats and research scientist Dr. Dave Ontario went to work. The pair went along a 2-mile radius from where the kitten was found, spreading its scent, in the hopes of catching the mother’s attention. 

Then, the story took a detour by some 1600 miles.

To Northern Florida and Back Again

Florida Panther

Florida Panther. Credit: Larry W. Richardson/USFWS via Flickr/(CC BY 2.0)

Well, after 2 weeks, the mother still hadn’t come out to find her kitten. At this time, the best course of action was to drive the kitten 400 miles to White Oak Conservation in Yulee, Northeast Florida. The drive is an 800-mile round-trip journey from the Naples Zoo to the Conservation.

The Conservation is known for its rehabilitation ability for big cats, so this seemed like it was the best bet. However, it wasn’t! When the FWC returned to Naples, they learned that the mother cat had returned too! Well, the FWC knew what they had to do and made the 800-mile round-trip all over again to get the kitten back to its mother.

Video by WPLG Local 10:

Florida Panther Reunion 

When the kitten returned, once again, though, the mom wasn’t to be found. But the FWC and Naples Zoo weren’t going to give up now that they had spotted mom:

“Naples Zoo cared for the kitten during the day, plans were made for a third attempt to reunite the pair,” FWC wrote. “That evening, a female panther approached and immediately showed maternal behavior toward the kitten.”

Trail cameras caught the wonderful reunion, and the video of the mother and kitten reuniting is below. After the reunion, the biologists said that both mom and kitten were again spotted recently, and they are doing just fine.

Mama Florida Panther with kitten a month after reunion

You can see the two reunited in the video from FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute below. A month after the reunion, the two are seen walking together.

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