2 Kittens May Be Key To Baffling Disease Killing Florida Panthers

TAMPA, FL — A pair of playful Florida panther kittens may help researchers determine the cause of a mysterious neurological disorder that was first seen in Florida panthers and bobcats in 2018.

A team of experts led by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is caring for the orphaned Florida panther siblings at the ZooTampa at Lowry Park, one of the state’s top facilities for the rehabilitation of this endangered Florida species.

Their mother suffered from the unknown neurological disorder, which the FWC is calling feline leukomyelopathy, that's been affecting Florida panthers and bobcats in Florida. She eventually deteriorated to the point that she had to be humanely euthanized.

Other kittens of Florida's two native wildcats, the Florida panther and the bobcat, have been diagnosed with the disorder and the research team feared these two kittens may have contracted the disorder from their mothers.

So far, their fears haven't been realized and the kittens came through their latest checkup with flying colors, said Dr. Lara Cusack, veterinarian at FWC’s Research Institute.

“We appreciate the support of the public and their concern for these kittens who just received their latest examinations in a series of checkups,” said Cusack. “While veterinarians cannot predict to what degree the kittens may become affected, they are currently active, playful and healthy overall.”

ZooTampa is already home to three Florida panthers that are unable to survive on their own in the wild due to injury or illness.

The mother and her kittens were first spotted in July 2019 on video footage from a trail camera set up in a Collier County wildlife. The mother, who'd been tagged by the FWC with a radio collar, showed the telltale signs of the disorder — difficulty walking, problems controlling her back legs, stumbling. As her condition continued to deteriorate, the FWC decided to remove the mother and kittens from the wild.

The kittens, who were unlikely to survive in the wild without their mother, presented a unique opportunity to obtain valuable research on the disorder.

At first, they lived at the zoo’s state-of-the-art Tiedemann-Cotton Animal Care Annex, and are now being housed at the Catherine Lowry Straz Veterinary Hospital.

Once they are out of quarantine and receive health clearance from the medical team, the zoo plans to place them on public view where they can serve as ambassadors for their species.

Cusack said they are hopeful the mother’s necropsy results and extensive diagnostic testing, along with the team's observation of the kittens, will help experts determine what’s causing the baffling condition.

ZooTampa's senior vice president of animal health, conservation and education, said the zoo was eager to help with the research.

“We are deeply committed to the conservation of our state’s endangered wildlife and helping people understand their role in protecting these animals,” said Dr. Cynthia Stringfield. “We are proud of our collaboration with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital and University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine to save each one of these amazing animals.”

Feline leukomyelopathy was first recognized in 2018 around Corkscrew Swamp in Collier County and was also documented in Alachua, Charlotte and Pasco counties. Videos from trail cameras set up in areas where bobcats and panthers are commonly seen also showed affected cats in Lee and Sarasota counties, and at least one panther photographed in Charlotte County could have been affected.

The cats with feline leukomyelopathy have exhibited varying degrees of rear leg weakness that lead to walking abnormally or difficulty coordinating their back legs. Extreme cases have led to the animal’s death.

As part of its ongoing investigation into feline leukomyelopathy, the FWC panther team has collected and sampled 35 bobcats. These bobcats have either been tested or are in the process of being assessed for the disorder.

As of Aug. 24, seven bobcats and two Florida panthers have been confirmed to have FLM. There's also been 16 probable cases (11 panthers, five bobcats).

Additionally, trail camera footage has captured eight panthers (mostly kittens) and one adult bobcat displaying varying degrees of this condition.

The FWC and its collaborators are monitoring four panther family groups with trail cameras and each group includes at least one kitten that is exhibiting symptoms consistent with FLM.

“While the number of animals exhibiting these symptoms is relatively few, we are increasing monitoring efforts to determine the full scope of the issue,” said Gil McRae, director of the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg. “Numerous diseases and possible causes have been ruled out. A definitive cause has not yet been determined. We’re working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a wide array of experts from around the world to determine what is causing this condition.”

The FWC is testing for various toxins, including neurotoxic rodenticide (rat pesticide), as well as infectious diseases and nutritional deficiencies.

"We have collected varied tissue samples from all FLM-positive animals to analyze with a wide array of tests to attempt to decipher the root cause of the disorder," McRae said.

Additionally, in June, National Park Service staff at Big Cypress National Preserve near the Everglades documented a female panther with a dependent kitten that appeared to have hind limb weakness typical of FLM.

This particular case, if verified, would be the first instance of FLM documented far from human-populated areas.

"The presence of FLM in one of our larger blocks of conservation lands such as Big Cypress would be concerning since it could indicate the condition is more widespread than initially suspected," McRae said.

The FWC and National Park Service has increased monitoring this fall to further assess the prevalence of FLM. So far, though, FLM appears to only afflict a small percentage of bobcats and panthers across their ranges.

"The majority of videos we’ve collected to date reveal apparently healthy individuals with no symptoms consistent with FLM," McRae said.

Florida panthers are an endangered species that are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. There are only an estimated 120 to 230 adult panthers in the wild.

The Florida panther is the larger of Florida’s two native cat species (panthers and bobcats).
Although most panthers are found south of Lake Okeechobee, they have been documented throughout the peninsula and even into Georgia. Female panthers have only been documented in south Florida so that is where all known breeding occurs.

To help fund the research, the nonprofit Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida recently awarded a $150,000 grant to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

"This condition has the potential to jeopardize the conservation successes achieved for the endangered Florida panther," Fish & Wildlife Foundation President and CEO Andrew Walker said. “We are committed to the conservation of Florida’s wildcats and hope this significant grant helps FWC determine the cause of FLM and eliminate it before it does further harm to our wildlife.”

Funds for the award came from the "Conserve Wildlife" Florida license plate, which contains the image of a Florida black bear. Twenty-five dollars from each purchase of the “bear tag” supports the conservation of Florida’s rare species and other nongame wildlife.

Residents can also support panther research efforts by the FWC by purchasing the “Protect the Panther” license plate.

The FWC is also seeking the public's help to document cases of FLM by submitting trail camera footage or other videos that capture animals that appear to have a problem with their rear legs. Files less than 10MB can be uploaded to the panther sighting webpage. For larger files, contact the FWC at Panther.Sightings@MyFWC.com.

Report dead or injured panthers to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on a cell phone.

See related story: State Investigates Florida Panthers With Walking Disorder