Page 92 - April 2015 Life In Naples Magazine

UNO IN TEMPORARY BEHIND-THE-SCENES EXHIBIT AT NAPLES ZOO

NAPLES ZOO
TO OPEN NEW FLORIDA PANTHER EXHIBIT AS PART OF COOPERATIVE EFFORT
WITH WILDLIFE OFFICIALS TO PROVIDE CARE FOR INJURED PANTHERS

YOUNG PANTHER BLINDED BY SHOTGUN TO BE FIRST BENEFICIARY

Naples Zoo officials announced today they are breaking
ground on a permanent home for a young Florida panther that
cannot be returned to the wild after it was blinded by a shotgun
blast. This new panther exhibit will focus on expanding public
awareness of the issues surrounding the growing number of cats
in the area. And to meet the increased need to care for injured
or orphaned panthers, Naples Zoo is also creating habitat space
to provide temporary care along with an all-new large animal
veterinary clinic. This is part of a cooperative effort with the US
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish and
Wildlife and Conservation Commission (FWC) to meet their
needs in recovering the state’s panthers. The new exhibit is slated
to open later this summer.

The Florida panther that guests will see at Naples Zoo’s new
exhibit is an approximately 2-year-old male rescued in October by
FWC biologists. After surviving a shotgun blast to both the face

IMAGE OF UNO IN HIS OUTDOOR AREA AT NIGHT TAKEN BY REMOTE CAMERA. Life in Naples | April 2015
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