Hello, kitty

A young Florida panther is recuperating after successful surgery on June 7 at UF’s Small Animal Hospital to repair a fractured right femur. The panther’s injury was likely caused by having been hit by a car in Collier County in May. It had received surgery previously and was recuperating at White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, Fla. when it reinjured itself.

Dr. Daniel Lewis, a professor of small animal surgery at UF, performed the procedure, which lasted almost three hours.

The animal, thought to be approximately 9 months old, was brought to UF’s Zoological Medicine Service the morning of June 7. Following completion of the surgical procedure, the female panther was then transported by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission veterinarians back to White Oak, where her rehabilitation continues.