A few weeks ago, a tiny Florida panther kitten was facing an uncertain future, having been abandoned by his mother. A team of biologists from Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rescued the week-old cub at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in Collier County in mid-January. They discovered the kitten while conducting research. The 1-pound male kitten had a dangerously low body temperature and was nonresponsive.

"We want to give any panther kitten the best opportunity to survive in the wild,” said FWC veterinarian Dr. Mark Cunningham. “But clearly this kitten was in poor condition and almost certainly would have died without intervention.”

Biologists transported the kitten to the Animal Specialty Hospital of Florida in Naples, where veterinarians and staff performed life-saving measures.

Today the little panther kitten has gotten much stronger and has been transferred to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo to receive rehabilitation. He is well on his way to a full recovery.

A tiny week-old panther kitten was facing an uncertain future, having been abandoned by his mother. A team of biologists rescued the little cub and brought him back to life.

They discovered the kitten while conducting research.

The 1-pound male kitten had a dangerously low body temperature and was nonresponsive.

Veterinarians and staff  at the Animal Specialty Hospital of Florida in Naples performed life-saving measures.

Today the little panther kitten has gotten much stronger and has been transferred to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo to receive rehabilitation.

He is well on his way to a full recovery.

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Photos by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo