@snowleopard: Was this Florida panther an individual that had been injured in the wild and is non-releasable? Is this the only Florida panther in captivity?
Here is a link describing a male Florida panther's release back into the wild after 13-months spent at White Oak Conservation Center. The cat had been kept in a 10-acre enclosure with minimal human contact, and so I don't think that it is uncommon for the center to come to the aid of injured Florida panthers. I do not know the story behind the individual in my photo from December 2008.
This link states that there are "estimated to be less than 130 individuals in a restricted range in southern Florida". I do seem to remember seeing a Florida panther at Jacksonville Zoo in 2008, and thus there might be a few Florida wildlife attractions with panthers.
