introduced eight female panthers trapped in Texas. Between 1995 and 2003, the newcomers bred with native cats; as described in a September 24 Science study, the gene pool was replenished. The Florida panther’s future is hardly assured, but it certainly looks better.

“Those defects are still found, but the proportion is much lower now,” said David Onorato, a researcher at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Florida Panther Project.

Onorato and a team of geneticists and other conservationists analyzed genetic data gathered from Florida’s panthers over the last 31 years, both before and after the translocation.

Genetic diversity is only an indirect measure of health, and can be imperfect — dog breeds, for example, can be both highly inbred and health. But the Florida panther was inbred to such an extreme degree, with serious hereditary defects so widespread, that almost any increase in diversity translates into an improvement in health.

Indeed, those defects — malformed testicles, ultra-low sperm counts, heart deformations — now seem to be rarer, said Onorato. Other signs of inbreeding, such as kinked tails and cowlicked hair, are also less common. And the panther’s population has tripled, to just over 100.

Translocation isn’t the only reason for all this, as the panther’s habitat has been expanded, and prey populations are carefully managed. But the cross-breeding is the foundation.

“The panthers have done their part,” said study co-author Stephen O’Brien, a geneticist at the National Cancer Institute.

However, the researchers say that much remains to be done. According to University of Minnesota ecologist Craig Packer, who wrote a commentary accompanying the study, Florida’s panther population needs to increase 10-fold before becoming free of inbreeding risks.

That’s simply not possible in Florida’s limited habitats, so further translocations will likely be needed every few decades.

Packer said the Florida success bodes well for other conservation efforts. Populations of lions, tigers and other large cats are now so fragmented that cross-breeding may eventually be required for every population.

Florida conservation officials hope to establish a population of 240 individuals in southern Florida, then help panthers settle in central and northern regions of the state, where suitable habitat now exists.

Those efforts have proceeded slowly so far. Male panthers have shown a tendency to roam northwards, but females seem unwilling to brave the passage, which requires crossing a semi-natural corridor of orchards, ranches and roads.

“If the panther is going to continue to expand, it will rely on available habitat,” said Onorato. “How much habitat are we willing to set aside? How much are we willing to coexist? It’s going to come down to that. Panthers aren’t going to be able to be an isolated population in South Florida. They need to expand.”

Images: 1) Male Florida panther./Science. 2) Comparison of genetic backgrounds in Florida panthers tagged before (left) and after (right) the cross-breeding./Science. 3) Florida panther cubs./Science.

Note: The Florida Panther Project relies entirely on sales of license plates and public donations for its funding. People interested in helping the panther can learn more here.

See Also:

• Forget Apple, Here’s the Real Snow Leopard
• Live Tiger Found in Bag Full of Toy Tigers at Thai Airport
• Baby Lion Cub Live Webcam Launched

Citations: “Genetic Restoration of the Florida Panther.” By Warren E. Johnson, David P. Onorato, Melody E. Roelke, E. Darrell Land, Mark Cunningham, Robert C. Belden, Roy McBride, Deborah Jansen, Mark Lotz, David Shindle, JoGayle Howard, David E. Wildt, Linda M. Penfold, Jeffrey A. Hostetler, Madan K. Oli, Stephen J. O’Brien. Science, Vol. 329 No. 5999, September 24, 2010.

“A Bit of Texas in Florida.” By Craig Packer. Science, Vol. 329 No. 5999, September 24, 2010.

Brandon Keim’s Twitter stream and reportorial outtakes; Wired Science on Twitter. Brandon is currently working on an ecological tipping point project.

Authors: Brandon Keim

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