ORLANDO, Fla. – Gatorland has its hands full with the addition of two five-month-old Florida Panther cubs.
The siblings, named Yuma and Sakari, can be found chasing each other, splashing in the water, wrestling and rolling around their boomer ball toys at Gatorland’s Panther Springs. The theme park said it adopted the two cubs from a sanctuary in the northeastern U.S.
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The brother and sister reside in a sprawling, all natural habitat complete with waterfall, stream and majestic tree structure featuring platforms and posts for playing and sunbathing, the park said in a news release.
“We are thrilled to have these beautiful Florida Panther cubs with us for our guests to enjoy and learn about,” said Mark McHugh, President and CEO of Gatorland. “Florida Panthers are endangered, with a small population of only about 200 in our state, and that number dwindles each year due to habitat loss and car collisions. It is important for us to give our guests a chance to observe them up close as they would never be able to do otherwise.”
When full grown, Gatorland said both cats will weigh up to 150 lbs.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, The Florida panther is one of two native cat species in Florida, the other being the bobcat. Panthers are listed as an Endangered Species under the Endangered Species Act and it is illegal to harm or harass them in any way. There are approximately 120-230 adult panthers in the population.
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