A newborn panther weighs barely one pound but will soon grow to an average of 120 pounds. Panthers are born spotted, with rings on their tails to help hide them in tall grass. Eventually the spots will fade and their coat will turn a tawny color. The young may stay with their mother for 12-18 months before they venture out on their own. Since then, I-75 has put up a fence to protect animals from cars, with tunnels every few miles for animals to travel from one side to another.
Surveillance videos show that the tunnels are regularly used by panthers as well as other animals.