Naples Zoo takes in orphaned male panther kitten

NAPLES, Fla.- The Naples Zoo is now home to a male panther kitten found in an agricultural area near Lehigh Acres.

The 2 to 3-month-old male was found after two mothers with kittens appeared to cross paths and somehow the kitten got separated from his family, the Naples Zoo said.

Naples Zoo will take care of the male kitten until Florida Fish and Wildlife officials find a permanent home for him.

The zoo says it recently took in another young female panther, now six months old, that was orphaned in October when her mother was killed by a vehicle.

The female panther, now named Sassy, “is a tough girl,” said Liz Harmon, the zoo’s director of animal programs. “After her mother was killed, Sassy survived on her own for nearly a month while her siblings did not.”

Naples Zoo’s carnivore team is caring for the young cats behind the scenes of the panther exhibit that opened last year.