Several years ago a debilitated, emaciated panther was rescued from the side of a Florida highway. He had been shot in the face and the pellets had ruptured both eyes, rendering him blind. The challenges of hunting in the wild without vision proved too difficult. Fortunately, a good Samaritan spotted him, and a team was sent for the rescue.
Uno now lives at the Naples Zoo in Florida where he was nourished back to health and now readily devours savory beef cubes as families watch and learn about the struggles of the Florida panther in their shrinking natural habitat. It is estimated the 120 to 230 Florida panthers exist in the wild today and while that is a remarkable recovery from the 20-30 that existed in the 1970’s. Despite conservation efforts and education awareness, the endangered cats still at critically low numbers. The worsen matters, dozens are killed by cars on the highways each year.
While Uno is safe as the panther ambassador, the rabbits and squirrels who wander through his exhibit are not as lucky. Without vision but with many other keen senses, Uno has re-sharpened his hunting skills!
For more information visit: http://napleszoo.org/