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Check out field notes compiled by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologists Mark Lotz, Darrell Land, and David Shindle, National Park Service biologists Sonny Bass and Deb Jansen as well as houndsman Roy McBride to find out about the movements and activities of individual Florida panthers and Texas cougars.
Biologists use prefixes and numbers to identify the individual cats. TX is used for Texas cougars, F1 is used for the offspring of the Texas cougars and Florida panthers, and F2 is used for the offspring of the F1s.

 
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07/04 July Field Notes
06/04 June Field Notes
05/04 Florida Panther116 Gives Birth to Litter of Three
04/04 Capture Season Update - January - April 2004
12/03 December Field Notes - Florida Panther Capture Team split the month of December working on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation and Everglades National Park. Two panthers were captured and 3 died this month.
11/03 November Field Notes - The "capture season," got under way on November 24th. This is the time of year when we capture panthers to replace radio-collars and hunt for additional panthers to add to our sample size.
10/03 October Field Notes
09/03 September Field Notes - Three kittens from two different litters were released last month on August 20th after being housed in captivity until they were old enough to fend for themselves.
09/03 Orphaned Florida Panther Kittens Returned To Wild
08/03 Capture Season Update - Births and Other News
07/03 Capture Season Update - Deaths and Other News
03/03 Capture Season Update - FWC researchers would give the shirts off their backs to save the panther. 
12/02 Capture Season Update - The Texas cougars (Puma concolor stanleyana), introduced for genetic restoration of the Florida panther in 1995, have met their intended quota of offspring assimilated into the panther population.
07/02 Births - Panther Dens Keep Biologists Busy. So far 2002 has been a busy year for us where panther dens are concerned. As of July 19th, 13 radio-collared panthers have denned producing a total of 30 kittens.
04/02 Capture Season Update - We finished up the capture season this month when we recollared FP67 on the 22nd. Additionally this month we collected 2 road-killed panthers and marked kittens from 3 panthers that denned.
03/02 Capture Season Update - had denned on the east side of the Addition Lands of Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP).  We pinpointed the den on Saturday and set up the “biologist-in-a-box.”  She left the den about 8:30 am on Sunday so we headed out to find the kittens.  We found 1 male and 2 females huddled together in a palmetto patch under a maple tree.  Their eyes were not fully opened yet indicating they were only about 7 days old.  They each weighed right around 2 pounds.
02/02 Capture Season Update - Four new panthers were added to the study population, all of which received Global Positioning System (GPS) collars for a feasibility study. One panther was recollared. Three radio-collared panthers died, two as a result of intraspecific aggression and one from undetermined causes. Another noteworthy event was the release of FP65 after recovering from a broken leg sustained during a routine capture last season.
12/01 Capture Season Update - Our capture season, the time when we collar new individuals and replace older radio-collars with weakening batteries, got started on November 1st this year.  This season looks to be shorter than in years past because we’ll be focusing primarily on maintaining the collared population and expending less effort on acquiring “new” panthers.  However, we will be deploying Global Positioning System (GPS) collars to test their effectiveness on panthers in this habitat and for that we will need a couple of new recruits.
09/01 Capture Season Update - I must apologize for not providing an update lately. I don't dare say that summer is our "slow" season, but it is the time of year when we're not in our daily "capture mode." Consequently, we try to take our vacations and use up some of our comp time that we invariably accumulate throughout the year. That is, of course, when we can schedule it around panther denning events, annual reports, and other such activities. Now that I've made my excuses, let me run down what's happened in the past three months.
06/01 Births and Deaths - Florida panther #88F2 gave birth towards the beginning of May in the Loop Unit of Big Cypress National Preserve. The following day, the 26th, we handled the kittens of Florida panther #67 in Hendry County. Three uncollared Florida panthers were struck and killed on State Road 29 in Collier County this month.#75 - Two male kittens were handled on the 15th in the Bear Island Unit of Big Cypress National Preserve.
04/01 Capture Season Update - The capture season for 2000/01 came to a close this month. However, we do have one item to wrap up later in the year. Panther #87B-FL needs to have her collar changed. Since she gave birth at the end of January, we will wait until such time that the safety of the kittens is not jeopardized. Three new panthers were collared and two died of vehicle collisions.
03/01 Capture Season Update - Most of this month was devoted to working on Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) with the exception of one capture in Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve (FSSP) and a den on the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (FPNWR). We recollared three panthers, caught one new panther, and handled two neonates at a den.
02/01 Capture Season Update - We covered a lot of ground this month while catching panthers in Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve (FSSP), Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP), the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (FPNWR), and Everglades National Park (ENP). Three panthers were recollared, two new panthers were added to the radio-collared population, one died, and three neonates were handled at one den. Much of our effort in BCNP was devoted to finding #70F1 and replacing the failed radio collar. Additionally, in Big Cypress, an uncollared male panther was treed on the 14th south of US 41. However, this cat was quite skittish and jumped each time the tree was approached. We eventually called off the capture to avoid further heat stress to the panther.
01/01 1999-2000 Panther Annual Report - Telemetry data were collected on 43 radiocollared Florida Panthers and 6 Texas cougars in Southern Florida.
01/01 Capture Season Update - We were on hiatus throughout most of December due to meetings and the holidays.  Capture activities picked up again in January however.  Shortly after noon on December 29th a 5- year old female panther was struck by a vehicle and killed on County Road 846 about 4.5 miles East of Immokalee.
12/00 Capture Season Update - We returned to Everglades National Park after Thanksgiving to resume our search for TX105 whose radio collar had failed. There was some suspicion that TX105's kitten, #94F1, now 16 months old, was still traveling with her.
11/00 Capture Season Update - The weather has cooled in south Florida initiating the 2000/2001 Florida panther capture season, the time when we change old radio collars and capture "new" Florida panthers.
11/00 Read about a Chance Encounter - Read the attached narrative from a long-time hunter/naturalist about a chance encounter with a Florida panther.
11/00 Update on Panther #84 Cause of Death - It was reported in the April 3-21, 2000, Capture Activity Report that panther #84B-FL mysteriously died just two weeks after becoming the third panther documented crossing the Caloosahatchee River.
11/00 Florida Panthers and the Road-Kill Problem - Road kills are the second leading cause of death to radio-collared Florida panthers. Intraspecific aggression (panthers killing other panthers) ranks number one. However, when considering all panthers (collared and uncollared) it appears that road kills are the number one cause of death.
08/00 Recent Road Kills - The last two panthers to be hit and killed by vehicles were hit on County Road 846. Both individuals were uncollared and appeared healthy at the time of death.
08/00 #67 Gives Birth To Unique Litter - Panther #67 gave birth to a male and female kitten in early August. Unlike the last den we located (#77's) this one was relatively easy to get to.
07/00 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Beginning this quarter the Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Reports will follow a new tabular format. Several factors contributed to this change. One of them was the increase in the number of individuals to keep tabs on, necessitating a more efficient means of updating and tracking their progress.
07/00 Movements of Panther #62 - Florida panther #62 continues to impress us with his wide-ranging perambulations. This male panther was born in eastern Collier County just north of Big Cypress National Preserve in September 1996.
06/00 #77 Gives Birth To Three Kittens - Florida panther #77 gave birth to three kittens, two males and a female, in early June on the Addition Lands of Big Cypress National Preserve north of I-75.
05/00 Panther Capture Season Summary - This report briefly summarizes the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) 1999-2000 panther capture season activities. This summary does not include data collected prior to December 1999 or subsequent to May 2000.
05/00 Panther Capture Report 04/24-05/09 - The last week of April was primarily devoted to #78's den on the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. We cooperated with Dream Catcher Films, Inc. for a segment that will include our activities at the den in a program about the Everglades.
04/00 Panther Capture Report 04/03-04/21 - During this three-week period we captured two new panthers (#92F2, #93B-TX) as well as recapturing the elusive TX107. Panther #84B-FL became the third panther to cross the Caloosahatchee River but mysteriously died two weeks later in Fisheating Creek.
03/00 Uncollared Panther Hit on CR846 - An uncollared male panther was discovered dead along CR 846 approximately 10 miles east of Immokalee on 23 March, 2000, by a passing Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wildlife officer.
03/00 Panther Capture Report 03/20-03/31 - The bulk of our effort during the last two weeks of March was focused on locating sign of TX107 (and her year-old kittens) whose radio-collar failed in October 1999.
03/00 Panther Capture Report 03/13-03/19 - The first three days of this week were spent scouting for sign of TX107 and her family.
03/00 Panther Capture Report 03/06-03/10 - This week was spent capturing panthers in Big Cypress National Preserve. The first part of the week was devoted to #71F1's family group. After a successful capture of one of her kittens we focused our effort on #55 whose collar failed during the early part of the week.
03/00 Panther Capture Report 02/28-03/03 - This week was devoted to working on Big Cypress National Preserve. We captured three panthers (#87, #88F2 and #89) and two others died (K76, #68).
02/00 Panther #80 Killed by Car - Panther #80, a four year-old female, was struck and killed by a car on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation in the late night hours of Wednesday.
02/00 Panther Capture Activities - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s panther capture team focused their activities during the week of February 21-25 on Big Cypress National Preserve.
02/00 Panther Capture Activities - During the week of 7-11 February, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's panther capture team succeeded in capturing and radio collaring kittens from TX106 and #73.
02/00 Recapture of #61 - This year's capture season has been the most successful ever, but was frustrated a great deal by the fact that a majority of our efforts were directed at recapturing a number of panthers whose radio collars had stopped transmitting.
01/00 Panther Capture Activities - From January 17 to February 4th, three panthers were recollared, one panther was captured and outfitted with a radio-collar, and another died after being hit by a vehicle.
01/00 Panther #63 Killed on State Road 29 - Panther #63 was found dead along State Road 29 (SR29) south of Sunniland on 17 January 2000.
01/00 FWC Panther Capture Activities - The capture team focused their capture efforts during the week of 10-14 January on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation (BCSIR).
01/00 Panther #16 Found Dead in Everglades National Park - Panther #16 was found dead on the northeastern boundary of Everglades National Park. The 14 year-old panther was the only known adult male residing in ENP.
12/99 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning October, November, and December of 1999.
12/99 Two Weeks in Everglades National Park - A full summary and daily synopsis of events from the first two weeks in Everglades National Park, which began capture season 1999-2000.
12/99 Christmas Eve Kittens - Christmas Eve provided the opportunity to search Panther #66's den, which revealed three kittens all in good condition.
11/99 Biologist In A Box - When talking about panther dens, we often refer to a device known affectionately as the "biologist-in-a-box." So what is a biologist-in-a box, you ask?
11/99 Panther #76 killed by #54 Panther #76 Killed by #54 - Male panther #76 was found dead on 15 November 1999 in the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve (FSSP).
11/99 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning July, August and September of 1999.
09/99 Texas Cougar Update- History Of Texas Cougar Release Dates and Status of Kittens Produced (updated September 23, 1999).
09/99 Panther #74 Killed on US 27 - Panther #74 was struck and killed by a vehicle on US 27 in Highlands County approximately ˝ mile north of CR 731 near Venus during the late night or early morning hours of 7-8 September.
08/99 Texas Cougar 103 Dies - Texas cougar 103 was found dead after a mortality signal was detected during a routine telemetry flight on Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) on 20 August 1999.
08/99 panther 69's three kittens Panther #69 Gives Birth to First Litter - On August 1st, three new born kittens (1 male, 2 females) were found in a den in Big Cypress National Preserve.
07/99 Female Panther Hit on Dirt Road - On July 8th, a two-year old female was killed by a vehicle on a rural dirt road in Hendry County.
06/99 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning April, May and June of 1999.
06/99 Panther #71F1 Gives Birth to F2's - In late June, Panther #71F1 gave birth to 4 kittens (2 males, 2 females) in Big Cypress National Preserve.
06/99 Panther #70F1 Gives Birth to F2's - Panther #70F1 gave birth to 3 kittens (2 females, 1 male) in Big Cypress National Preserve in mid June.
06/99 TX 106 Gives Birth - Texas cougar 106 gave birth to 2 female kittens early in June on the Picayune Strand State Forest.
05/99 Another Panther Crosses the Caloosahatchee River - Young panther male number 74 crosses the Caloosahatche River.
03/99 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning January, February and March of 1999.
12/98 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning October, November and December of 1998.
10/98 Panther #61 - Update report on Panther #61.
09/98 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning July, August and September of 1998.
06/98 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning April, May and June of 1998.
03/98 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning January, February and March of 1998.
12/97 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning October, November and December of 1997.
09/97 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning July, August and September of 1997.
06/97 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning April, May and June of 1997.
03/97 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning January, February and March of 1997.
02/96 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning February of 1996.
04/96 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning April of 1996.
05/96 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning May of 1996.
06/96 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning June of 1996.
09/96 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning July, August and September of 1996.
12/96 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning October, November and December of 1996.
06/95 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning June of 1995.
09/95 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning September of 1995.
10/95 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning October of 1995.
11/95 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning November of 1995.
12/95 Florida Panther Genetic Restoration Progress Report - Spanning December of 1995.

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