As deaths of endangered Florida panthers mount, 3 kittens spotted in state forest

As conservationists worry over the fate of the highly endangered Florida panther, state officials have confirmed three kittens have been born and are currently living in the Okaloacoochie Slough State Forest. 

All three kittens are part of one litter, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said, and were born earlier in August. The litter includes one male kitten and two female kittens. 

These are the only births that the commission has documented this year, according to its website. The commission tracks all kitten births by adult female panthers wearing radio collars, so there may have been other, unrecorded kittens born in 2024.