Troubling trail camera footage shows endangered Florida panthers and bobcats stumbling and falling down prompting officials to investigate the cause of the mystery illness
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating a neurological disorder observed in Florida panthers and bobcats
- Agency so far has confirmed the illness in one panther and one bobcat
- Trail camera footage also captured eight panthers and one adult bobcat walking abnormally or having difficulty coordinating their back legs
- FWC is testing for rat pesticides, infectious diseases and nutritional deficiencies
Wildlife experts are struggling to determine the cause of a mysterious neurological disorder that has left some Florida panthers and bobcats having difficulty walking.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has launched an investigation into the illness, which so far has been confirmed in one panther and one bobcat.
In addition, trail camera footage has captured eight panthers, most of them kittens, and one adult bobcat walking abnormally or having difficulty coordinating their back legs.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating a mysterious neurological disorder that has been observed in Florida panthers (pictured) and bobcats
Footage recorded by trail cameras in 2018 shows panthers having visible difficulty using their hind legs
The animals in the footage, most of them kittens, are having visible difficulty coordinating their back legs
Videos of cats suffering from the disorder were collected from multiple locations in Collier, Lee and Sarasota counties, and at least one panther photographed in Charlotte County could also have been affected.
Footage recorded by trail cameras in 2018 shows panthers having visible difficulty using their hind legs and stumbling about.
One young cat is seen falling and struggling to get back on its rear legs.
‘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. ‘Numerous diseases and possible causes have been ruled out; a definitive cause has not yet been determined.
‘We’re working with the US 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 rat pesticides, as well as infectious diseases and nutritional deficiencies.
The Florida panther is protected under the Endangered Species Acts. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild
The Florida panther is protected under the Endangered Species Acts and it is the state’s official animal.
The big cats once roamed the entire Southeast, but now their habitat mostly is confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.
So far this year, 13 Florida panthers have been killed by cars, most recently last week in Hendry County.
The FWC is asking the public to help with its investigation by submitting trail camera footage and other videos showing panthers and bobcats having trouble walking.