The last six months have been complicated, to say the least, for the Panther Ridge Conservation Center in Loxahatchee Groves. On Wednesday, Oct. 9, a tornado spurred by Hurricane Milton tore through the five-acre facility.
Meanwhile, in September, Nyambe, one of their ambassador cheetahs, displayed an unusual spot on each of his hind legs. That the staff at Panther Ridge caught those spots is a feat in and of itself — cheetahs have somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 spots on their bright tan fur and skin.
The keepers quickly contacted their veterinarians, who helped monitor the spots that quickly grew in size, Animal Curator Sadie Ryan said.
They tried all of the typical treatments — antibiotics, anti-fungal, anti-viral, steroids, wound debridement and daily bandage changes — but to no avail. The spots were still growing.
For a typically healthy five-year-old cheetah, one of the two calling Panther Ridge home, the mystery spots were beyond concerning. Eventually, a diagnosis was confirmed: Nyambe had pythiosis, something known to be rare, and potentially fatal.
Pythiosis is caused by an algae-like fungal parasitic pathogen that enters the body through the nose, skin or esophagus, and this is the first ever report of pythiosis in a cheetah. It’s found in warm, humid environments, and is suspected to be a result of heavy rainfall and storm runoff, creating the perfect environment for the difficult-to-diagnose pathogen.
Everyone at Panther Ridge, and their veterinarians, including Dr. Diane Schiereck, worked tirelessly to help Nyambe beat the typically deadly bug. But by November, he had been on a special vaccine for four weeks, with little improvement.
The next thing to try involved knowing Nyambe’s genetic history. With only 6,500 cheetahs remaining in the wild, Ryan said, knowing their genetic history allows for the understanding of which cheetahs respond abnormally to infections.
“Nyambe is a part of the AMP (animal management plan) for cheetahs,” Ryan said. “We know his genetic history and bloodlines.”
With that critical information, especially for an animal that is an endangered species, they were able to determine that he might have been particularly susceptible to pythiosis.
Schiereck was able to gain access to a novel experimental drug, with the idea that regulating Nyambe’s dysregulated immune system might let his body heal itself — and that medicine changed everything.
His prognosis went from likely to be fatal, to actively healing. His wounds are healing, and the pythium is no longer present.
Nyambe went through countless bandage changes, injections, blood draws and more, which proved necessary for his survival.
And his story might help shorten the approval process for the drug, potentially impacting other animals in the future. Truly, Nyambe’s care team turned a grim diagnosis into one full of grins.
Nyambe was welcomed to Panther Ridge in 2020 as an ambassador, along with Kendi. And they’re both part of the Cheetah ambassador program.
“Cheetah ambassador programs educate the public about cheetahs and raise money for the endangered species,” Ryan said. “The goal is to inspire the public to care more about cheetah conservation.”
All-in-all, it has been a whirlwind. Panther Ridge is still working on raising funds for enclosure repairs, and other retrofits from the tornado, and now, medical bills in excess of $500,000.
Panther Ridge, and its many endangered big cats, need help. The nonprofit is home to 27 big cats from 10 species.
Proceeds from Wellington’s Taste & Toast event on Friday, March 7 will benefit Panther Ridge and the Wellington Rotary Foundation. Tickets are available at https://wellingtontasteandtoast.eventbrite.com. The next Twilight Hours tour, where visitors can meet the cheetah ambassadors and see their other feline friends after sunset, takes place on Saturday, March 15. Tickets are available at https://pantherridge.org/tours/twilight-hours. Meanwhile, their Walk on the Wild Side 2025 Fundraiser is on Thursday, March 27.
By appointment, it’s possible to visit Panther Ridge through guided tours, big or small cat experiences, and through the cheetah walk/painting.
Panther Ridge accepts donations and has an Amazon wish list and sponsorship opportunities. Learn more at www.pantherridge.org.
