The cause of pneumonia is not "unknown". He got sick and died because he couldn't find food anymore since Ave Maria destroyed his habitat and all the prey that lived there. This won't be the last starvation death we hear about as Ave Maria and all the developments that will pop up around it leave nowhere for the panthers to exist.

Its funny, Ave Maria popped up out of a blasted farm field, I didn't know panthers were vegetarians. That may explain why they are always getting sick. Start eating deer and hog and lay off the cucumbers, the population will skyrocket.

Kittycat, I agree that upland habitat essential to the survival of the panther population has been desecrated by development. Finding the causative organism which cause the pneumonia is important also.

Oh no. Why didn't the government step in a get this panther some drugs. People, for once listen to reason. THE FLORIDA PANTHER IS NOT ENDANGERED! It is all about money. The panther is the same exact cat as the mountian lion, cougar and puma. The only difference is that is lives in Florida. I think the Republicans caused the pneumonia.

I agree with kittycat.
We must eradicate this planet of humans!!
They keep being responsible for animals dieing!!!
;-)

This is the only place in the eastern half of the United States where Panthers live naturally. For all practical purposes the Panther is an endangered species and it is a crown jewel of the south florida ecological system. We have an incredible Ecology here in Collier and it's not nuts or liberal or stupid to believe it's important. Sort of like the last stand of mature Cypress trees in any state, it needs protection and it could only happen from the federal level as interests locally will ensure it's extinction. Sure you can plant new ones but it is a part of the truly unique and amazingly diverse biological wild heritage of America and it would be a great loss if that's gone forever. Plus it's been proven in high court years ago that this animal is a separate species of cougar and deemed endangered in a court of law. If you feel the urge Crazyeye, just take the issue back to Federal court and overturn the ruling and then development can continue with less road blocks to outsiders coming in like geniuses and plowing under and digging out and polluting the entire landscape and watershed.

75% of Collier Cty is already in public ownership, so I'd say prevention of development is pretty good in Collier; the panther needs to be re-introduced into its natural territory: north Fl, central Fl, Ga, Al, Ark, S Car, La. Panther recovery has been remarkable, from 29 to well over 100 I'm sure, now its time for the conservationists to step up to the plate and do the right thing; if panthers have been tracked naturally as far north as Daytona, then they need to relocate some to Ocala National Forest, Apalachicola National Forest, Blackwater River State Forest and many other numerous preserves in the South East. The panthers have maxed out their carrying capacity here in S Fl, I can't believe the panther people have dragged their feet this long on re-introduction to its historical home range.

swamp4u2, first "Panther people"???? who are they? If you mean the USFWS, well this agency is fraught with politics. The scientists are often stymied by those who hold the purse strings (politicians). The agencies involved with the environment are pretty hamstrung right now. None of those who are involved with panthers locally dare speak out about what might really work.

I hate it when science and common sense is put on the back burner, yielding to the politics of the day (and the $$$ which is behind this kind of pressure.)

Environmentally and economically sustainable development is possible but only when we learn to live within the rhythms of nature and not try to impose the modern version of manifest destiny

Wes had some excellent comments, too.

Crazyeyes, it isn't only your eyes which have a problem with facts.

Was this a panther or a Texas Cougar????

lswjth2, please enlighten us on your knowledge of Texas pumas. Are there really pure Texas pumas in Florida now?

I still think he commited suicide after waking and finding himself surrounded by the north!

The cause of the pneumonia is clear, global warming. Isn't it ironic that that cat died on the outskirts of Ave Maria right after the Pope sent tons of CO2 into the atmosphere on his flight to the US. Those 40 degree temps in mid April were too much for the cat.
Where was algore? Had he taken to the skies in his jet and fired a few air to air missles at the Popes plane this could have been prevented. He should send his pilot for some tactical training at Greenpeace HQ.
If you think I'm nuts go look in the mirror.

Cory, I will...Here you go

http://www.panthersociety.org/faq.html#_What_is_%85?

What is the difference between a panther and a cougar?

The Florida Panther (Puma concolor coryi) and Texas Cougar (Puma concolor stanleyana) are two different subspecies of the mountain lion. There are some thirty subspecies of the American mountain lion — also called Puma concolor in Latin — that live in the Western Hemisphere, ranging from the southern tip of Chile northward into Canada. The Florida panther is the only breeding population of mountain lion that is known to survive east of the Mississippi River.

There are some small physical or biological differences that distinguish Florida panthers from some of the other cougar subspecies, such as differences in the coloration and texture of the fur, body size, and skull structure. The Florida panther has short, rather stiff fur, with a slight reddish tinge, highlighted with gray. Its body size is smaller. Its skull has a broad, flat frontal region with a broad, upwardly arching nasal area. Some of the Florida panther’s other distinct characteristics, like the kink at the end of its tail and a cowlick on its back, are a result of inbreeding.

The Texas cougar is a closely related subspecies to the Florida panther. Texas cats weigh 25 to 30 percent more on average than Florida panthers and have a different skull shape, fur color and texture.

For the most part, the mountain lion subspecies are very similar. Nonetheless, each unique subspecies is still important to the overall health of the American Mountain Lion populations. Historically, different subspecies interbred where their populations overlapped. This breeding between populations provided the genetic variability necessary to survival.

Wow. Thanks. That clears it up. Seems as if interbreeding between the subspecies historically occurred to the benefit of the populations in Florida and elsewhere.

Thanks for the info.

The difference between Texas Cougars and Florida Panthers .........none. Neither has the ability to get out of the way of a speeding Yankee cuttin thru Collier Co.