TAMPA, Fla. — ZooTampa's beloved Florida panther, Lucy, has passed away at 18 years old, ZooTampa at Lowry Park officials announced Monday.
Clausa, known as Lucy, was abandoned by her mom as a cub in 2007. She lived in ZooTampa’s care and was diagnosed with cancer in recent years.
Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska showed us Lucy at ZooTampa in Dec. of 2024. She was then 17 years old and was told by a ZooTampa official that panthers usually live to be 10 to 12 years in the wild.
ZooTampa has many efforts to protect the Florida Panther, including one Paluska also profiled with the fStop Foundation, a non-profit founded to raise awareness about conservation and the Florida wildlife corridor. The fStop Foundation has 160 cameras spread out across Florida, most in the South, near the Everglades, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Big Cypress, and along the spine of the wildlife corridor.
ZooTampa said Lucy's image graced a New York skyscraper and a U.S. postage stamp for wildlife conservation.
"Lucy leaves a legacy that touched millions of hearts," said Chris Massaro, Senior Vice President and Chief Zoological Officer. "While we are saddened by her passing, we are immensely proud to have witnessed her extraordinary life and the joy she brought to people around the world."
Florida panthers are the state's official animal and are currently listed as critically endangered, with an estimated 120 to 230 adults remaining in the wild, ZooTampa said.
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