Name of Addressee

8 December 2015

Dear FAZA members,

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is compiling a list of AZA institutions within Florida that would be interested in housing a Florida panther – either temporarily or permanently. Currently there are seven Florida panthers housed at five zoos in Florida. As the free-ranging panther population grows we expect additional panthers to need placement following injury or orphaning or, in rare occasions, removed as nuisance animals.

The Florida panther is a critically endangered subspecies of puma whose population has rebounded from as few as 30 individuals to between 100 and 180 today. Occasionally panthers are removed to captivity due to severe injury, orphaning, or other condition impairing their ability to survive. When this occurs, we strive to rehabilitate and return panthers to the wild; however, many times this is not possible due to human habituation (if orphaned at too young of age) or permanent injuries. When release is not possible we attempt to house panthers in zoos, which benefits not only the individual but also the panther population, the zoo, and the public. A captive panther population can serve as a back-up to the single free-ranging population and has numerous research and public education benefits; captive panthers also can serve as biomedical reservoirs (blood or plasma donors, etc.) for injured or ill panthers undergoing treatment.

Decisions to place panthers will be based on the overall attributes of the facility, the specific needs of the individual panther, and the availability of alternative captive facilities. Any captive facility holding a Florida panther, either permanently or temporarily, should have AZA accreditation if at all possible, although a non-AZA facility could be considered if it meets specifications. At a minimum, the facility must have a Class I permit from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and a permit or letter (if necessary) from the USFWS. The facility should coordinate panther acquisition with the AZA Puma SSP coordinator (although they may have already been contacted by FWC prior to the acquisition). Other features that would be considered ideal include having a veterinarian on staff and having a large outdoor enclosure available for daily use.

If you are interested in housing a Florida panther, please complete the questionnaire below and return by email to both Mark Cunningham ([email protected]) and Nick Kapustin ([email protected]).

1. Is your institution AZA accredited? Yes No 2. Have you held puma or other large felids? Yes No 3. Do you have a veterinarian on staff? Yes No Name of Addressee Page 2 Date a. Or is a veterinarian available to assist with health care and treatment? Yes No NA 4. Do you have an outdoor enclosure available for a panther? Yes No a. What are the approximate dimensions? ______b. Please provide a description, diagrams, and/or photos of the facility. 5. Would the enclosure be for the exclusive use by the panther or would sharing or alternate use with another puma be necessary? ______a. ______6. Is an enclosure available to house a panther off-exhibit if necessary: Yes No 7. Are you able to take in a panther not suitable for exhibition (e.g. severe injury)? Yes No 8. Indicate experience with hand-rearing felids (ages and species) ______9. If no interest in exhibiting a panther could you hold a panther temporarily?

Please don’t hesitate to contact me or Nick Kapustin if you have any questions.

Thanks very much,