Panthers can live up to 12 years or more in the wild. Female kittens have a good chance of living 10 years or more. In 1998 one female panther in the wild was still alive at the age of 16. Males have a tougher time, but if they can survive to 5 or 6 years, they too are likely to live to 10 or more years of age (Land: personal communication). Among radio-collared panthers, the most frequent cause of death was panthers killing other panthers (intraspecific aggression). Usually adult males kill juvenile males, who enter their ranges often in search of females. Males have also killed females, and younger males have killed older males (Land 1994a). Other causes of death among panthers include
bacterial infections, rabies, pseudorabies, and congenital heart defects.
One dead female panther was found to have high levels of mercury in her
tissues. Between 1978 and 1994, 20 panther deaths (12 males and 8 females)
and six injuries were documented from collisions with cars and trucks.
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