Many wildlife populations exist in small numbers, often in fragmented or isolated habitat patches. Small populations, especially those that are isolated from other conspecific populations, face a high risk of extinction due to the interactive effects of deterministic and stochastic forces. Madan will share their experience of working with a small, isolated population of the endangered Florida panther, which had declined to 20 to 30 individuals by the 1990s.

The population suffered from a multitude of biomedical abnormalities thought to be indicative of inbreeding, and poor demographic vigor. In an attempt to alleviate the negative effects of inbreeding, a genetic management initiative was implemented. Madan will discuss the response of the panther population to the genetic management initiative, assess current status, and discuss future prospects.