Week-old Florida panther kitten found unresponsive, nursed back to health

Last month, a week-old Florida panther kitten was found in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. He was curled up in a ball and unresponsive, suffering from both hypothermia and hypoglycemia.

"He was very lethargic, listless and non-responsive," said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Carli Segelson.

Believing the 2.8-pound kitten wouldn't survive without intervention, biologists brought him to the Animal Specialty Hospital of Florida where veterinarians provided 24-hour care.

After a remarkable recovery, the still-unnamed kitten was transferred to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. The formula-fed panther now weighs more than 4 pounds. In a few weeks, he'll be weaned from his bottle and started on a meat-based diet.

Watch the kitten's rescue in this video:

When the feline is old enough, he will move to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. Because the kitten didn't learn survival skills from his mother, he can't be released back into the wild.

"This kitten exemplifies how joint efforts of the FWC, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and our partners are helping recover imperilled species in Florida," said Kevin Godsea, manager of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. "We are certainly pulling for him and hope he leads a long, healthy life."