Gatorland welcomes 5-month-old Florida Panther siblings

Gatorland on Monday announced the arrival of five-month-old Florida Panther siblings as the newest additions to its wildlife family. Adopted from a sanctuary in the northeastern U.S., Yuma and Sakari now reside at Gatorland’s Panther Springs.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Gatorland on Monday announced the arrival of five-month-old Florida Panther siblings as the newest additions to its wildlife family.

Adopted from a sanctuary in the northeastern U.S., Yuma and Sakari now reside at Gatorland’s Panther Springs, described by the Central Florida attraction as "a sprawling, all natural habitat complete with waterfall, stream and majestic tree structure featuring platforms and posts for playing and sunbathing."

Each panther weighs approximately 20 pounds and stands one-and-a-half-feet tall. When full-grown, they will weigh up to 150 pounds.

The brother and sister have been playful, curious and loving and have enjoyed chasing each other, splashing in the water, wrestling and rolling around their boomer ball toys at Panther Springs, the attraction said.

"We are thrilled to have these beautiful Florida Panther cubs with us for our guests to enjoy and learn about," says Mark McHugh, President and CEO of Gatorland. "Florida Panthers are endangered, with a small population of only about 200 in our state, and that number dwindles each year due to habitat loss and car collisions. It is important for us to give our guests a chance to observe them up close as they would never be able to do otherwise."

Originally opened as a roadside attraction in 1949, Gatorland is a 110-acre theme park that is celebrating its 74th anniversary this year.