Bloodline on the brink – Florida's last panther

The Florida panther – a rare subspecies of the American puma – once roamed large parts of the southeastern United States. Today, it lives only in a tiny area in southern Florida.

Its population is considered one of the most isolated big cat populations in the world. Roads, settlements and agricultural use have fragmented its habitat into small, separate islands.

This isolation has dramatic consequences: The few remaining animals reproduce within the same bloodline for generations – with severe genetic damage. Researchers found heart defects, deformities, and fertility problems in many panthers – classic signs of an inbred population.

In the 1990s, the population had dwindled to fewer than 30 animals. Only through the targeted introduction of Texan pumas was it possible to stabilize the genetic makeup and, for the time being, prevent extinction.

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