VIDEO: MyFWC Officials Herd Florida Panther, Returns To Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
By MyFWC // June 1, 2016
ABOVE VIDEO: Watch closely! The panther is herded into a newly cut “door” in the fence by several people standing in front of the guardrail on busy Alligator Alley. The panther takes one look at the people lining the highway and smartly elects the safe escape route back into the preserve! (MyFWC Video)
This lucky Florida panther is no longer an “alley cat” thanks to the quick work of FWC panther biologist Mark Lotz.
Construction workers reported a panther on the wrong side of a fence on a section of road known as Alligator Alley.
Mark arrived at the scene and found the trapped feline hunkered down near the fence line. It had some scratches on its face where it had tried to run through the fence, but otherwise appeared in good condition.
Mark opened a section of fence (which he later repaired) to provide an escape route.
Vehicle strikes are the number one cause of Florida panther deaths so far in 2016.
With the help of FWC Officer Lt. Dodd Bulger and construction supervisor Michael Fortner, Mark herded the panther through the opening.
The cat sprinted into the safety of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge.
