The Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens is reporting healthy recovery for a rescued Florida panther kitten.
The kitten, named “Peppercorn” by Naples Zoo staff, was rescued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on March 9, the zoo said in a June 223 news release.
The female kitten had been radio-collared during the 2026 capture season, according to a FWC Facebook post. Each year, the FWC captures and releases a representative sample of Florida panthers for research and conservation purposes.
During captures, biologists give panthers a radio collar with a unique frequency to track their movements.
Florida panther was abandoned
After eight weeks of continued monitoring, the kitten’s mother stopped returning to its den, and biologists determined intervention was necessary.
The FWC is still tracking Peppercorn’s mother through her radio collar, reporting on Facebook that biologists have monitored her movements through the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge.
The FWC don’t know why she abandoned Peppercorn but cites illness, injury, environmental stressors, prey availability and maternal age as potential reasons.
At the time of the rescue, Peppercorn was underweight at less than three pounds, the release said.
Peppercorn was immediately transported to the Naples Zoo for medical care. Dr. Peter Sebastian, a FWC panther veterinarian, stated in the news release that she will never gain essential survival skills due to the absence of her mother.
“It can be a tough road to recovery for orphaned animals, but with an intensive re-feeding and treatment plan, this kitten has made huge strides over the past few months,” Dr. Carson Rehn, a veterinary intern at the Naples Zoo, said in the release.
Now, Naples Zoo said Peppercorn weighs more than 20 pounds.
She is not visible to guests and will be transferred to a different zoo in late summer for education purposes.
“While she cannot return to the wild, this partnership has given her a second chance at life, and she will play an important role in inspiring people to care about Florida panther conservation for years to come,” Jack Mulvena, president and CEO of Naples Zoo, said in the release.
Reach reporter Vanessa Norris by emailing vnorris@news-press.com
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Rescued Florida panther kitten recovers at Naples Zoo
Reporting by Vanessa Norris, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Vanessa Norris, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
