Acreage devoted to citrus production in prime Florida panther habitat has increased by approximately 400 percent in Collier and Hendry counties during the last 20 years. Another threat to the survival of Florida panthers is low genetic diversity which has resulted in reproductive disorders within the population. A captive male Florida panther and three female Texas panthers are being breed in initial breeding trials. After a 1-year evaluation of the surrogate groups' response to their habitat as well as the public's response to their presence, these mountain lions will be removed from the wild. Cattle losses are most common in southwestern states.
Evidence suggests that predation on livestock is opportunistic rather than habitual.