Through Our Eyes

Go to the Defenders of Wildlife website to Take Action for Panthers. According to the DoW Take Action alert, “Florida panthers once prowled and flourished in America’s southeastern woodlands and swamps, but today fewer than 160 of these majestic cats remain in a tiny remnant of their historic range. And that habitat is shrinking every day – gobbled up by subdivisions and commercial development.

We’re in a race against time. As panther habitat becomes more and more fragmented, it will be increasingly difficult for these creatures to stay out of harm’s way.”

https://secure.defenders.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2539&JServSessionIdr004=2rwv6urbb1.app224a

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Upon first reading the headline, the news is uplifting and inspiring – 32 Florida Panthers born in 2011 to 11 female panthers. But there were 24 deaths with 9 of the deaths attributed to vehicle collisions. Officials say only about 100 – 160 panthers exist in the state. The population has been increasing since the 1970s when there were less than 30 panthers in the state of Florida. So, the rise to 100+ panthers does sound like good news, and we hope the population continues to increase. Unfortunately, in the first two weeks of 2012, 3 panthers were killed, two by vehicle collisions and one in a fight with another panther.