Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Mystery of Florida ‘panther’ solved
Boxing champion faces wildlife charges
A world champion boxer faces charges over the mysterious appearance of a cougar in a quiet South Florida neighborhood.
The 60-pound cat initially thought to be a Florida panther unnerved residents of Parkland when it appeared in early January, reclining on a driveway and hopping a fence into a backyard. Wildlife officers subdued it with a tranquilizer and launched an investigation that would take months into how it got there.
Charged with allowing it to escape and several other wildlife violations was Tyrone Spong, World Boxing Organization Latino Heavyweight Champion, who holds a host of other boxing and kickboxing titles.
“Mr. Spong kept an extremely dangerous class 1 cougar which ultimately escaped and was loose in a residential neighborhood during daylight hours while school was not in session during New Year’s Day
2019 resulting in threats to the public safety,” states a report released this week by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Spong, 33, who lives on NW 80th Terrace in Parkland, next door to where the cat was spotted, was hit with 20 misdemeanor charges.
He was charged with keeping the animal without a permit, allowing it to escape, keeping it in too small a cage, failing to provide it with toys or other stimulation, not providing shelter and several other charges. Investigators also found caged macaw and cockatiel birds that lacked water or clean water, for which he was also charged.
Each of the charges carries a maximum penalty of a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.
Spong did not respond to a text to his phone. His manager, Marcos Gonzalez, declined comment.
Although the cougar was underweight at the time of its capture, it has made a full recovery, according to the report. It is being housed in a licensed facility.
Although Parkland stands next to the eastern edge of panther habitat, investigators always doubted the animal was a genuine Florida panther, a species that roams the Everglades and the forests of southern Florida. An estimated 230 panthers remain in the wild, a sharp increase over the 1970s, when as few as 30 remained.
The Florida panther is a subspecies of the puma or cougar, a far more numerous animal that roams the western United States, Canada and Central and South America.
Investigators said their analysis revealed that the one caught in Parkland had been captive-bred. It had been wearing a collar at the time of its capture.
Katie Purcell, spokeswoman for the state wildlife commission, said the state has tough captive-wildlife regulations and conducts routine inspections.
“Florida’s captive wildlife regulations are among the most stringent in the nation,” she said in an email. “Individuals who possess wildlife in Florida must be licensed and meet all safe housing and humane treatment standards.”