FLM

FLM or Feline leukomyelopathy is a disorder which affects non-domestic cats. The disorder causes microscopic changes in the brain and spine, causing varying degrees of rear leg weakness and difficulty walking. The disorder was identified in panthers and bobcats in Florida in 2019. Big Cat Rescue suspects that it has been around longer based on the Florida bobcats we have been called to rescue in years prior.

This footage was posted April 2022 of a mountain lion in CO and it looks very much like footage of Florida Panthers suffering from FLM.

This wobbling pattern of walking is what brought these bobcats to Big Cat Rescue for treatment and observation:

Orpheus Bobcat https://bigcatrescue.org/orpheus/

Winter Bobcat https://bigcatrescue.org/winter/

Grayce Bobcat who died and was sent to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) https://bigcatrescue.org/trying-to-save-a-baby-bobcats-life/

Videos of wildcats suspected of having FLM or Feline leukomyelopathy

https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/2019/08/21/panther-florida-endangered-species-act-bobcats-neurological-disorder-damage-fish-wildlife-commission/2059982001/

https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/panther/disorder/

https://www.news-press.com/story/tech/science/environment/2020/04/02/biologists-still-unsure-exact-cause-of-neurological-disorder-found-in-panthers-bobcats/5093857002/

https://www.fox13news.com/news/neurological-issue-affecting-florida-panthers-more-widespread-than-previously-thought-fwc

https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/panther/disorder/updates/