Beloved blind Florida panther Uno died 'unexpectedly' Sunday at Naples Zoo
Ashley Collins
A shotgun blast to the face didn't stop Uno, a one-eyed Florida panther, from living a full life at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens.
For four years after his rescue, he roamed the wild of his exhibit and made human friends. He had been left for dead, shot in the face, blinded and then shot a second time in the rear before being taken in by the zoo in 2014.
Uno took his last breath Sunday, days after surgery on an ulcer in his blue left eye. His age isn't certain, since he was not a tagged panther when he was rescued along Immokalee Road a few miles east of Everglades Boulevard four years ago by panther biologists. But he's estimated to have been 6 years old.
“Uno was an ambassador for his species. He was a beloved panther and dear friend to our staff and volunteers, members and community,” Jack Mulvena, president and CEO of Naples Zoo, said in a news release.
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The Friday before he died, Uno was in surgery to remove his eye after an eye drop treatment failed to help. The panther made it through surgery but reacted badly to a commonly prescribed pain medication, the zoo said. He was regularly monitored over the weekend and seemed to be recovering until he stopped breathing Sunday.
The Naples Zoo's animal care team performed CPR for 30 minutes, but Uno never responded. A necropsy will be conducted by the University of Florida. It's not yet known if a decisive cause of death will be determined.
With the loss of Uno, the zoo still has one Florida panther, Athena, who was brought there late last year and shared an exhibit with Uno. Zoo staff will continue to work with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to rescue and rehabilitate Florida panthers.
Uno's "situation prior to being rescued certainly made his life more of a challenge," said Dave Onorato, FWC panther biologist, who met Uno several times and whose peers saved him. "But his life improved once in captivity. He would’ve died relatively soon if we had not found him."
Onorato said panthers in captivity sometimes live up to 20 years of age. Wild panthers typically have shorter life spans — up to 10 years for males and 12-15 years for females.
Onorato said Uno was a unique case because biologists don't typically find and rescue emaciated panthers in the wild.
Courtney Jolly, spokeswoman with the Naples Zoo, said they're honoring Uno's life in a special way.
"Tokens of condolences (from the community) are welcome and will be displayed at the Florida panther exhibit," she said.
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