Panther Kitten Check up in the den.

1. Panther Kitten Check up in the den. Photo courtesy of Ralph Arwood

2. The Wildlife Biologist determine that a female panther may be denning based on locating her in the same place for more than one week while monitoring collar signals from the air.   They then set up the den monitoring box within 200-300 meters of the den so that they can remotely monitor the female panther more closely using the radio frequency on her collar and a phone set to that frequency. This allows for the Wildlife Biologist to learn the panthers routine so that they know when they can approach the den. Photos courtesy of Ralph Arwood

3. When the panther kittens are between 2 and 3 weeks in age the Wildlife Biologist prepare to go out to search for the den in the day light hours, when they know the mother will be away long enough for them to check the kittens. Photos courtesy of Ralph Arwood

4. Up to 3 biologist experienced in searching for dens, will approach the den area from different directions. Slowly and cautiously they look under vegetation for the kittens and carefully bring them out. Photo courtesy of Ralph Arwood

5. Once found, they are taken to the work-up site, using caution in protecting their eyes from the vegetation.

6. A “work-up site” is selected and prepared with the biomedical supplies for handling up to 4 kittens at a time. Photo courtesy of Ralph Arwood

7. Photo BICY ARCHIVE Photo courtesy of Ralph Arwood At the work up site the kittens are assigned a number, then Wildlife Biologist determines its gender and then weight it.

8. A transponder chip with the kitten’s assigned number will be inserted, so that if the kitten is found later they can easily access information that is recorded. The site between the shoulder blades is prepared first by cleaning it with alcohol. Then the transponder which is about the size of a grain of rice is inserted under skin. Photos BICY Archive

9. Photo BICY Archive Photo courtesy of Ralph Arwood The Wildlife Biologist plucks a small sample of hair from the side and belly. Plucked hair usually retains the follicle, making it usable for genetic analysis. Also a small sample of hair is shaved from the belly for mercury analysis

10. The kitten is given a de-wormer to reduce their parasitic load. This is done by placing ½ tsp of de-wormer that is yellow and color and is reported to taste like bananas into a needleless syringe. Then slowly inject the liquid on the kitten’s tongue allowing it to lick and swallow it slowly so it doesn’t go into its lungs. Photos BICY Archive

11. Blood is drawn from the jugular of some of the kittens if they are not too squirmy. This is used to find blood parasites and is another method of genetic determination. Photos BICY Archive

12. The Wildlife Biologist then checks the overall heath of the kitten, They check for a kink in the tail and cowlick on back. They collect feces if available. Any abnormalities are recorded through photographs as well as tooth eruption is assessed and photographed. Photos BICY Archive

13. The Wildlife Biologist cleans an ear close to the tip to collect skin biopsies with an ear punch. Gauze is held with pressure to stop bleeding, and an antiseptic ointment is applied to site once bleeding has stopped. Then the biopsies are placed in liquid medium for storage. Photos BICY Archive

14. A final step prior to returning the kittens to the den is to use the “reader” to make sure each transponder is still under the skin after handling. The kittens are then returned close to the den for the mother panther to find and return to the den. Photo BICY Archive