Protecting Habitat For The Florida Panther

Ask a Floridian what their state animal is and they’ll proudly tell you it’s the Florida panther, the only cougar species found east of the Mississippi River. Though you’ll see the Florida panther on everything from license plates to the state hockey team’s jersey, this elusive cat was one of the first animals added to the U.S. Endangered Species List in 1967, and is one of the most endangered mammals in the world, with current population numbers hovering around 100 adult cats.

What Kind Of Cat Is It?

The Seminole tribe of Florida calls it coo-wah-chobee, or “big cat.” A naturalist will say puma concolor coryi. A 16th century European explorer may have referred to it as a devil cat.

So what is the Florida panther, exactly?

North America has been home to big cats since the Pleistocene era, now classified under the genus name puma. The Florida panther is a distinct subspecies of this American puma—discovered in 1896 by naturalist Charles Barney Cory—and is genetically habituated to the forests and swamps of southern Florida.

A Panther Needs Territory

The biggest challenge for the Florida panther? Habitat loss. Between 1935 and 1990 the human population of Florida grew by 4.7 million. That’s an average of 1700 people a week. 

A male panther has a territory of about 200 square miles—the equivalent of roughly 100,000 football fields—and, like most felines, won't share his territory with other males. The average female panther requires about 80 square miles of territory but will share with other females as well as males.

With numbers like these, it’s easy to understand why so few panthers remain and why so many—around 15 to 18 a year—are struck by motorists as they search for new territory.

The Fund's Efforts

For the Florida panther to breed and hunt successfully in an increasingly developed landscape, corporations, private citizens and public agencies must work together to save Florida's natural areas. That's just what happened when, in 2011, we completed a multi-year effort to save nearly 650 acres of prime panther habitat. Located outside of Naples near the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, what makes conservation of these acres especially exciting is that they're considered Priority 1 panther habitat by the Florida Panther Interagency Committee (the committee is made up of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). The project was also made possible because of the support of a local landowner. Now the Florida panther is ensured more room to roam.

How Can You Help?

When you donate to the Fund, your gift makes a real impact in saving natural areas for wildlife across America, including the Florida panther.  

Photos: Connie Bransilver (top) / David Shindle, Conservancy of Southwest Florida (bottom)