FP-93 (K-58) is the daughter of TX 107. Her father was probably FP-79. She was born on February 22, 1999 in the Turner River Unit of the Big Cypress National Preserve. She was first captured on April 10, 2000 at 14 months of age. She did not reunite with her mother post- capture, but was seen on May 1st with an un-collared panther, likely one of her 2 siblings.
When FP-93’s malfunctioning collar was replaced on February 28, 2002, her progesterone levels indicated she was pregnant. She gave birth to her first litter on April 6, 2002, consisting of 3 females and 1 male (K-113 aka FP-151, K-114, K-115 aka FP-119. Their father was probably FP-79. She was observed from the monitoring plane with 3 kittens on October 11, 2002 and the tracks of 3 offspring, 2 females and 1 male, were observed with hers on March 31, 2003. Her male offspring, K-115 (FP-119), was captured on April 2, 2003. The status of the 2 females is unknown. FP-93 next denned on July 16, 2003. On August 5, 3 kittens, 2 males and 1 female, were marked (K-152 aka FP-150, K-153, K-154) at 21 days old. Their father was probably FP-60. One of these males, K-153, was killed on CR 951 in Naples on August 29, 2005. FP-93’s collar malfunctioned on August 30, 2003, and she was not caught again until February 11, 2006. She was in good condition and weighed 77 lbs.
FP-93 denned in late June in the Turner River Unit and on July 1, 2006, we handled 3 female kittens at 18 days of age (K-211, K-212, K-213). Their father was probably FP-133.
K-211, K-212, K-213
Based on FP-93’s associations with radio-collared male panthers, it is likely that these kittens did not survive to 6 months. We treed FP-93 on February 11, 2006 and because she appeared to be pregnant we did not handle her.
FP-93 two months into her pregnancy with K-226, K-227, K-228.
She did initiate denning later that month and we marked 3 kittens on March 8, 2007 (K-226, K-227, K-228).
In keeping with the protocol of not handling female panthers with dependent kittens less than 12 month of age, we were not able to change her collar, which failed on December 10, 2007. Her home range at that time was 98 km2. We treed her 2 juvenile male offspring on February 21, 2008 and documented her tracks at the time. We collared K-227 (FP-163). At one year of age, he weighed 71 lbs.
Florida Panther FP-163, was kitten # 227. He is the son of FP-93. We handled him at the den on 8 March 2007.
On February 6, 2013 FP-93 was treed but was too high to safely re-collar
FP-93 climbing down from cypress tree after the capture team left the area.
On February 19, 2015 she was re-collared. At 16 years of age she appeared to be in good health and weighed 77 lbs.
FP-93 February 19, 2015
On the tracking flight on December 2, 2015, FP-93's collar was transmitting in the mortality mode. When the team went in to check on her, FP-93 appeared to have died from natural causes. There was no evidence of predation or intraspecific aggression. She probably died at least three days before she was found. Had she survived three more months she would have been seventeen years old.
