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Diet
Panthers are strictly carnivores: they only eat meat. About 90 % of their diet is feral hog, white-tailed deer, raccoon, and armadillo. Occasionally they consume rabbits, rats, and birds, and on rare occasion alligators. Although cattle are abundant on private ranches within the panther's range, they are rarely consumed by panthers (Maehr et al. 1990). Two of their food items, feral hogs and armadillos, are not native to North America. Hogs are descendants of escaped hogs brought to Florida by the Spanish, and armadillos are originally from South America. Where hogs are abundant, some panthers will prey almost exclusively on them (Land 1994a). Hogs are smaller than deer, but they are easier to catch.
Hundreds of wild hogs were released in Big Cypress between 1961 and 1977 for humans to hunt. Today wild hogs are most abundant on the drier private lands to the north of Big Cypress National Preserve. Deer are more widely distributed than hogs and are thus the panther's most consistent food item (Land 1994a).
Panthers feeding on large prey are heavier and healthier than those that feed on small prey. A panther has to kill and eat about 10 raccoons to equal the food value of 1 deer. To maintain their health and fitness, adult panthers need to consume 1 deer or hog per week. Females with kittens may need twice this amount. Juvenile kittens, like teenagers, need more food than younger kittens.
What panthers do and do not eat
Deer
White-tailed deer are a main prey food of the Florida panther. In fact, its the second most prevalent food in their diet.
Berries
Florida panthers are carnivores. They only eat meat and won't touch berries.
People
Florida panthers are shy and usually avoid people. There are no documented cases of a Florida panther attacking a person. Other kinds of cougars have on rare occasion attacked and killed people. Between 1900 and 1995 cougars killed 11 people in North America (Busch 1996). Your chances of being killed by a cougar are far less than your chance of "becoming a victim of lightning, honeybees, moose, deer, pit bulls, football, snow-shoveling or crossing the street in front of your house." (Olson 1996:26)
In most encounters between cougars and people, the cougar has lost. Since Europeans arrived in North America in the 1500s, humans have killed between 100,000 and 250,000 cougars (Olson 1996).
If you ever feel threatened by a cougar, you should stand firm, yell and fight back. Don't play dead. Never turn your back and run. Running triggers a chase instinct in cats and other predators. Crouching may also trigger attacks. Cougars are generally intimidated by humans standing upright. Put small children on your shoulders. Dogs may attract cougars. So if you're in cougar country, leave pets at home.
Fish
While Florida panthers are not known to eat fish, they do eat raccoons that eat fish. So, you could say fish are indirectly in their diet. Such relationships demonstrate the complexity of food webs among animals.