Florida panthers: The endangered Florida Panthers are mysteriously struggling to walk – and wildlife protection officials do not know why

Many panthers and Florida lynxes seem to have developed a mysterious disorder that holds the attention of wildlife officials. The animals were spotted struggling to walk properly and have difficulty using their hind legs, stumbling and falling often. Some people think that they may have been poisoned.

"All affected animals had some degree of abnormal walking or difficulty coordinating their hind legs," said the Florida Wildlife and Fish Conservation Commission (FWC) in a statement released Monday.

The FWC confirmed that a panther and a bobcat suffered from neurological lesions. The Trail camera also filmed eight panthers and a bobcat at varying degrees of severity. This seems to affect the kittens the hardest.

Surveillance footage from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission shows animals struggling to walk.

FWC

Affected cats can be seen on video from several locations, including Collier, Lee and Sarasota counties. A panther was photographed that could be affected in Charlotte County, but the disorder appears to be localized.

"Although the number of animals with these symptoms is relatively low, we are intensifying our surveillance efforts to determine the full extent of the problem," said Gil McRae, director of the Research Institute. on the fish and wildlife of the FWC. "Many diseases and possible causes have been excluded, no definitive cause has yet been determined."

The FWC is looking for potential toxins, including rat pesticides, infectious diseases and nutritional deficiencies.

The agency also asks local residents to share any personal monitoring sequence showing animals in trouble. Collecting more photos and video evidence will help researchers to further analyze and confirm the disease.

Florida native panthers are an endangered species, it is therefore essential that those responsible determine the cause of the mysterious disorder and minimize its consequences for the population.

The Panthers' territory once covered the entire south-east, but their current habitat is mostly restricted to southwestern Florida. There are only about 120 to 230 adult panthers in this state, and observations are rare.