Critically endangered Florida panther kitten born at National Wildlife Refuge

IMMOKALEE, Fla.— The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recorded the birth of a critically endangered Florida panther kitten, born at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge.

According to the FWC’s Panther Pulse website, the mother, FP277, gave birth to one female kitten, designated as K528, roughly 30 days ago. The recorded handling date by FWC occurred on February 9.

Historically, Florida panthers typically give birth to between one and two kittens, with a gestation period of approximately three months.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service website identifies the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, located in Immokalee, as “(A) core habitat for the endangered Florida panther and all native wildlife that roam within the apex predator’s habitats.”

In early January, footage provided by a WINK News viewer showed a potentially pregnant panther from Pepper Ranch at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. FP267 showed signs of pregnancy based on previous recordings, including sightings of her with two kittens during her stay at Pepper Ranch and another kitten in Summer 2025. 

The FWC began recording panther litters, deaths, and depredations in 2014. With the data gathered, the only year without a litter was 2023. The year with the highest number of litters born was in 2014, with a total of 13 recorded litters. In 2014, 18 females and 14 males were born.

According to FWC data, the average number of litters born annually is around 4.36.

In May 2025, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission located a litter of newborn panther kittens.

Posted on their Instagram page, FWC’s panther team posted images of the panthers designated as K525, K526, and K527.

For more information on the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, click here.