Rare Florida predator kills one of its own — a kitten less than 6 months old

An endangered Florida panther kitten was killed in a fight with a member of its own species.

Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported finding the body of the male panther kitten, estimated to be 4 or 5 months old, in Hendry County on March 28.

The panther-on-panther violence, described as intraspecific aggression, is the second most common cause of death for the species, accounting for roughly one in six deaths, according to the FWC. Vehicle strikes are the leading cause of death by far, making up nearly 60% of all known deaths.

Intraspecific aggression usually involves an older male panther killing a younger male during a territory dispute, and older males will sometimes chase young males out of their mother’s territory, according to researchers.

It’s unclear what conflict led to the demise of this kitten, which likely still had his blue eyes and brown spots from birth.

Panther kittens begin to accompany their moms on hunting trips at about 2 months old, and they start slowly learning to hunt until they can make small kills at about 9 months of age, researchers said.

The death comes shortly after FWC biologists handled a litter of three kittens whose mom lost all three of her kittens from her last litter, McClatchy News previously reported. The team evaluated the roughly 4-week-old males in the Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area, which is mostly inside Hendry County southwest of Lake Okeechobee.

This panther does not appear to be from that litter based on his age. He would have been born in late fall or winter, which is typically a less common time for denning.

While challenging to say the true number of panthers in the population, the FWC estimated about 200 are left in the wild.

This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Rare Florida predator kills one of its own — a kitten less than 6 months old."