Seven month old panther cub Yuma isn’t as old as he looks.

“He was bigger than I thought, I was thinking of a baby,” said one spectator.

His size is a surprise to the many that showed up at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park to witness a new beginning of the panther cub released into wildlife habitat.

“He is gorgeous! We live in New York City so it’s not something that we get to see a lot,” said spectator Meaghan Lynch.

Just seven months ago, Yuma was a kitten clinging to life. He was found abandoned in the wild by two biologists in south Florida.

Unresponsive and dehydrated, no one ever thought the panther would make it. Panthers are endangered in Florida.

“You would think in the wild that other animals would have found it and killed automatically,” said another spectator.

After being rehabbed for months, this cub has proven to his fans that he is one tough cat.

“It’s such a rarity to see this baby animal that was abandoned find a new home,” said park visitor Jim Boyle.

Because he was cared for by humans, Yuma is not fit to be released out into the wild.

Aside from his story of survival, Yuma will be reminding the public for the rest of his life that not only is his story rare but so is his kind.