State sees 29 kittens born in 2010 despite 23 known deaths
There were 29 documented Florida panther kittens born in 2010, and another 30 to 40 likely were born to uncollared panthers, according to recent data from state wildlife officials.
That compares to just 11 documented panther kittens born in 2009, officials said.
The numbers seem to indicate a big leap in panther population growth — especially compared to 23 documented panther deaths this year — but the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
“Not all the kittens survive,” said Mark Lotz, a panther biologist with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Lotz did say 2010 was still a good year for Florida panther kittens.
“Typically, panthers only give birth every two years,” Lotz said. “We had a high number this year with radio-collared females. Next year, they will be busy raising kittens. So next year I expect to have fewer kittens being born. We might only have 15 kittens being born next year.”
In 2009, five panthers gave birth to 11 kittens. In 2008, five panthers gave birth to 13 kittens, but two of those died before ever leaving the den.
It seems 2010 is the third-best year for documented births since 1996, behind only the 43 kittens born in 2007 and 35 in 2002.
Experts are quick to stress that of the 100 to 120 panthers believed to live in the wild, only 24 have radio collars. Of those two dozen, 11 of those are females that had litters Lotz examined this year.
“We could have 60 adult females and 30 giving birth each year, so 70 some kittens could be born in any given year,” said Darrel Land, panther team leader with the FWC.
Land said a new study by the University of Florida shows that when the panther population is higher, a smaller number of kittens survive to adulthood.
“Now, only about 30 percent might reach adulthood,” said Land, who added that he’s pleased by 2010’s 29 documented births.
Females can begin having kittens when they are about 11⁄2 years old and can continue to give birth every other year until they are about 10.
“FP110 is the oldest female we had to drop kittens, and she is 10,” Lotz said about a panther that gave birth to three kittens this year.
Two females were killed this year a few months after they gave birth. Biologists searched for days for the kittens, but were able to find only one male, who is now being raised near White Oak in northern Florida. The plan is for him to be released into the wild when he is old enough to survive on his own.
Officials say while kitten mortality numbers are good, the overall population increase is limited by panther habitat.
“Just looking at panther behavior, I think we are kind of pushing the carrying capacity of the habitat down here,” Lotz said. “That is part of the reason we have seen panthers north of the Caloosahatchee River. There is no place for them down here, so they are expanding out, and that’s what they do naturally.”
Lotz said the ultimate goal is to find other areas suitable for panther habitat. “When or exactly where that sort of stuff (is) has not been determined yet,” Lotz said.
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