Since I first learned about it as a child, the Florida panther has been one of my favorite endangered animal species These sleek, stealthy, muscular cats are among the only charismatic predators native to the Southeastern U.S.– a region I’ve called home for my entire life. Despite its inherent value as a living creature and as an icon of the Southern U.S. ecosystem, the Florida panther remains little-known and relatively unprotected.
Florida panthers are endlessly fascinating, but lack of education continues to threaten their ability to survive in their natural habitat. Here are ten important and interesting facts about the majestic Florida panther.
1. The Florida panther is not an “endangered species”– it’s an endangered subspecies.
One of the most common misconceptions about the Florida panther is that it comprises its own distinct species. In fact, the Florida panther is a distinct subspecies, of mountain lion. It is a member of Puma concolor– a broad, widely distributed species with a range stretching from Northern Canada to the southernmost tip of South America. Although the mountain lion species is not endangered, the Florida panther subspecies is.
2. Florida panthers are a remnant of what was once a much larger subspecies population.
The mountain lion, including the Florida panther subspecies, once inhabited almost all of North America– including the vast majority of the Southeast. Today, the vanishing cats clinging to life in the Everglades represent the only fragment left of a once-thriving population. All Florida panther populations outside of the Everglades were eliminated within 200 years of settlement by Europeans.
3. Only about 70 Florida panthers survive today.
Today, there are only about 70 Florida panthers in the entire world– a shockingly small population, but still more than double the number existing twenty years ago. Although conservation organizations continue to make diligent efforts to preserve the Florida panther, it is likely to become extinct without ongoing support and conservation.
4. Suburban development is the most serious current threat to Florida panthers.
Sprawling human settlements, at this point, are the biggest threat to the Florida panther’s viability in te wild. In 2007, 14 Florida panthers– one fifth of the total population– died as a result of automobile accidents. Urban development has also confined the panther to smaller territories, where they are more likely to engage in lethal territorial disputes due to inadequate habitat space.
5. Florida panthers pose no threat to human beings.
A Florida panther has never attacked a human being. People do not look enough like the panther’s natural prey to appear appealing to the animal’s senses. The cats are naturally wary of humans and tend to be skittish and nervous in their presence. Very, very rarely, Florida panthers have attacked pets or livestock in areas where human development has encroached upon their natural territory. As a precaution, people living in areas with Florida panthers should secure pets at night and keep livestock in predator-proof pens.
Resources Used
Florida Panther Refuge
International Union for the Conservation of Nature