Elusive Florida predator spotted on trail cam — with two babies. See them
The panther was spotted in the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed in southwest Florida by Tom Mortenson, a volunteer photographer for CREW Land & Water Trust.
With around 200 panthers estimated to be left in the wild, adult panthers are rare enough. But on top of that, only about one-third of panther kittens make it to their first birthday, according to the FWC.
Mortenson identified the adult female panther as FP266, collared in January 2024 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the CREW Land & Water Trust said in an email.
Mortenson said in the email that FP266 had 'been living evasively since her capture.' He caught a glimpse of her walking by his trail cam in May 2024, but since then, she's gained a couple new followers.
In June, he spotted her on one of his cameras with a single kitten. FWC biologists told him FP266 had a second kitten, based on other sightings of the panther family.
Then a month later, Mortenson captured the whole family in frame.
Mortenson said he was recovering from a surgery when he checked his camera footage and spotted the mom and her two kittens.
'Seeing these photos come into my iPhone was a very special delight,' he said.
Nighttime footage shows the mom and her two kittens passing through a clearing within the 70,000-acre watershed.
Panther mothers start bringing their young along to hunt at around 2 months old, and they begin catching small animals on their own at around 9 months of age, according to the FWC.
While researchers don't know exactly when juvenile panthers leave their mothers, females don't breed again until their young can survive without her, which typically happens by the time they turn 2.
In March, biologists tracked down a litter of panther kittens born to a mom who lost all three kittens from her litter the year before, McClatchy News reported.
Most panthers live in southwest Florida, according to the FWC, including the area in and around the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed.
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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Miami Herald
Elusive Florida predator spotted on trail cam — with two babies. See them
A rare Florida panther made an appearance on a trail camera, accompanied by another 'special' sight — her two kittens. The panther was spotted in the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed in southwest Florida by Tom Mortenson, a volunteer photographer for CREW Land & Water Trust. With around 200 panthers estimated to be left in the wild, adult panthers are rare enough. But on top of that, only about one-third of panther kittens make it to their first birthday, according to the FWC. Mortenson identified the adult female panther as FP266, collared in January 2024 by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the CREW Land & Water Trust said in an email. Mortenson said in the email that FP266 had 'been living evasively since her capture.' He caught a glimpse of her walking by his trail cam in May 2024, but since then, she's gained a couple new followers. In June, he spotted her on one of his cameras with a single kitten. FWC biologists told him FP266 had a second kitten, based on other sightings of the panther family. Then a month later, Mortenson captured the whole family in frame. Mortenson said he was recovering from a surgery when he checked his camera footage and spotted the mom and her two kittens. 'Seeing these photos come into my iPhone was a very special delight,' he said. Nighttime footage shows the mom and her two kittens passing through a clearing within the 70,000-acre watershed. Panther mothers start bringing their young along to hunt at around 2 months old, and they begin catching small animals on their own at around 9 months of age, according to the FWC. While researchers don't know exactly when juvenile panthers leave their mothers, females don't breed again until their young can survive without her, which typically happens by the time they turn 2. In March, biologists tracked down a litter of panther kittens born to a mom who lost all three kittens from her litter the year before, McClatchy News reported. Most panthers live in southwest Florida, according to the FWC, including the area in and around the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Florida Python Challenge 2025: More than 900 hunters competed for $25,000 in prizes
With Florida's annual Burmese python hunt wrapping up Sunday (July 20) at 5 p.m., the next phase of the 2025 competition will be the announcement of the winners, including the $10,000 grand prize recipient for most pythons caught. According to Lisa Thompson, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, this year's winners will be announced "in a few weeks after all data has been processed and verified." A total of $25,000 in prize money will be distributed to winners in three categories − professional, novice and military. More: Florida python hunter describes python bite: 'Like a mouthful of hypodermic needles' How many hunters participated in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge? This year's competition started at 12:01 a.m. on July 11 at eight competition locations. Thompson said there were 933 total registered participants this year coming from two countries (U.S. and Canada). That was up from 857 participants in 2025. "And we had 30 states represented (including Florida)," Thompson said. Florida Python Challenge 2024 results. 195 pythons removed Last year, according to FWC, 195 Burmese pythons were removed. Ronald Kiger (20 Burmese pythons removed) was the 2024 Grand Prize winner. How serious is the python problem in Florida? Burmese pythons have wrought destruction in the Florida Everglades. They've contributed to the decline of small mammals including raccoons, opossums, bobcats, foxes, marsh rabbits and cottontail rabbits. A recent study revealed that Burmese pythons can eat prey much larger than previously reported. Scientists observed a Burmese python swallowing a 77-pound white-tailed deer, nearly 70 percent of the snake's mass. What is the Florida Python Challenge? The Florida Python Challenge is a ten-day competition encouraging participants to remove Burmese pythons from seven Commission-managed lands in South Florida. According to FWC, the event is held to raise public awareness about invasive species in Florida, like Burmese pythons, that are a threat to the Everglades ecosystem. Where was the 2025 Florida Python Challenge held? The Florida Python Challenge took place at these eight competition locations:Big Cypress Wildlife Management AreaEverglades National Park Florida Python Challenge 2025 prizes Along with the$10,000 top prize for the most pythons caught, this is the breakdown by category: Professional Category Most Pythons Professional Category $2,500 Most Pythons Professional Category Runner Up $1,500 Longest Python Professional Category $1,000 Novice Category Most Pythons Novice Category $2,500 Most Pythons Novice Category Runner Up $1,500 Longest Python Novice Category $1,000 Military Category Most Pythons Military Category $2,500 Most Pythons Military Category Runner Up $1,500 Longest Python Military Category $1,000 Burmese pythons in Florida must be humanely killed If you catch a Burmese python in Florida, you must humanely kill the snake where it was captured. Transporting live pythons is not allowed. Two steps must be completed to kill a python humanely: Step 1 - Target the brain: The application of the tool should immediately result in the python losing consciousness. Draw an imaginary line between each eye and opposite jawbone. The brain is located where the two lines intersect. Apply the tool to the target area (brain) to achieve an immediate loss of consciousness. Step 2- Destroy the brain: Immediately and substantially destroy the python's brain by manually 'pithing' which prevents the python from regaining consciousness. How many Burmese pythons are in Florida? "Burmese pythons are hard to find due to their cryptic coloration and secretive behaviors, and their low detection probability is a major challenge to effective python control and research," according to Florida Fish and Wildlife. However, conservative estimates by the USGS put the Burmese python population in the Florida Everglades region in the tens of thousands. Can Burmese pythons ever be removed from Florida? Because Burmese pythons are distributed across more than a thousand square miles of southern Florida, including all of Everglades National Park and across the southern coast, the chances of completely eliminating the snake from Florida is low. Controlling their numbers and preventing their spread out of the area are critical goals for conservation efforts and land managers, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: How many pythons were caught in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge? Solve the daily Crossword
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Newsweek
Woman goes on vacation, cat decides to make her 'pay' when she returns home
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A woman who decided to take a vacation with her husband discovered her cat had some big feelings about being apart once she returned back home. The 27-year-old, who goes by Sliz online, is from Portland, Oregon, and is the proud owner of Martin the cat, who she got after completing her freshman year of college. The pair share a deep bond, with Sliz revealing: "I actually refused to live in the dorms sophomore year because I wanted to get a cat so badly." Her ex, who she lived with at the time, was determined he didn't want a cat, and particularly not Martin, who was in a separate room at the shelter as he kept "biting the other cats." But, as Sliz put it: "My ex did not stay in my life long after that, but I've had Martin for nine wonderful years. "Martin has been with me through the best and worst times of my life. He did not end up being a biter, and the day he came home, he curled up on my shoulder when I was laying in bed, and that's been his spot ever since." Martin sleeping on Sliz after her trip, and right, the pair when Martin was a kitten. Martin sleeping on Sliz after her trip, and right, the pair when Martin was a kitten. Reddit u/slizshady While any cat can grow up to become extra affectionate, anecdotal evidence exists that some cat breeds may be clingier than others, according to a vet-reviewed report from Catster. The American Shorthair, Burmese, Maine Coon and Perian are just some of the breeds listed as likely to love attention from their owners. Sliz showcased the bond between herself and Martin in a sweet post to Reddit's r/aww in June, via her account u/slizshady, where it racked up close to 6,000 upvotes since being shared earlier this month. Alongside a photo of her and Martin snuggling in bed, the cat getting as close to her as possible, she wrote: "Ever since I got back from my trip he's been sleeping on me every night." She explained to Newsweek that she and her husband had been on a camping trip for three days, with a pet sitter staying around the clock, but when they returned, Martin "made me pay" for leaving him. "He decided to ensure I didn't flee in the dead of night, which meant sleeping on me. If I shifted from one side to the other, he would climb on my husband for a moment, and then when I settled into my new position, he would come right back." Usually, she explained, Martin will lie on her "as I fall asleep, and right when I wake up. Thankfully, he abides by our alarms, and only comes to snuggle once he knows it's time for us to wake up. "He is truly a one of a kind cat—the most loving, needy little thing." Redditors loved Sliz's post, one describing the photo as "pure love and relief right there." Martin resting on Sliz, which he does when she falls asleep and when her alarm goes off. Martin resting on Sliz, which he does when she falls asleep and when her alarm goes off. Reddit u/slizshady "Aww, he's missed you," another said, as one admitted: "You're lucky. Mind used to sulk with me for at least a week." "I miss my orange cat. We would sleep exactly like this," another said. And as one wrote: "I feel the love through the screen. This is so wholesome." Soon after getting Martin as a college freshman, Sliz met her husband, who despite being "mildly allergic" to cats adored Martin, and bought him a special cat tree weeks after they started dating. In the nine years since, the couple have since taken in another cat, Murphy, and dog Bean, and Sliz joked Martin has "taught them how to be needy too." "But while they're all needy, Martin is far and away the most needy. Whenever we get back from a trip, whether it's two days or four weeks, he is the one who will be stuck to us like glue. "He decides that the alarms he once respected no longer exist, meowing in the middle of the night until someone comes to pet him." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
