The Florida Panther (Felis concolor coryi)
...ippi River Valley north and east to the Atlantic Ocean, including Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, and parts of Tennessee and South Carolina” (Bester). The Panther used to cover much of the country; however, there are approximately 70 panthers that remain in parks and nearby private lands in southwest Florida (Bester). The panther’s diet consists of a wide variety of animals. A panther will eat anything from a small mouse, a fowl, raccoon, feral hogs, to white-tail deer, and even larger animals. “A study was conducted on the eating habits of the panther, and deer and hogs accounted for 42 and 22 percent in the south and 23 and 63 percent in the north” (United States.). However, as the land became settled, livestock became part of its meal plan as well. Hunting of the panther occurred very often, as many people felt they were doing nothing wrong. “People often killed the panthers, because as land became settled, territorial cats attacked livestock, and soon the full wrath of humans was turned against the cats” (Fichter 73). As the panthers continued to kill livestock, hunting of the animal continued. As time went on, the land continued to be developed and the panthers were forced farther and farther out of their habitat. The panthers ended up in the southern part of Florida. “The Florida Panther roams and resides in upper dry lands such as hardwood hammock, pine flatwoods, saw palmetto and cabbage palm thickets, and in wetland areas including cypress forest, mangrove forests, and freshwater marshes” (Bester). The Florida Panther has been put on the endangered species list for many of the same reasons several other animals like itself have been put on this list. Because the Florida Panther is viewed by many as a threat or major problem, many issues concerning the panther have arisen. As a result of human development, the panther continued its vast decrease. Panthers were constantly being hit by vehicles, which resulted in death or seriously injury. In many cases if the panthers were not killed, its wounds became infected and often led to death. As the number of panthers decreased, the inbreeding of the animal made it very prone to diseases. “Diseases such as panleukopenia, feline leukemia, as well as problems resulting from inbreeding such as abnormal semen, testicle abnormalities, and heart diseases are all problems the panthers face” (Bester). “More than a century of inbreeding has seriously depleted the panthers’ gene pool (Chadwick and Sartore 41). Inbreeding is not the only problem that causes the animal to be vulnerable to diseases. They also are prone to “parasitic infestations of ticks, tapeworm, hookworms and intestinal flukes” (Bester). Parks and Wildlife were so concerned with the decrease in the population, radio-active collars were put around many panthers’ necks in order to track the animals. During the radio-active collars, results varied with "one being shot, one was found in the river with a hole in it (presumed shot) and another one's radio collar was found in a pond"(Jordan). Disease, humans, and birth defects were not the only cause of death among the panthers. Through scientific studies, they found out that “many panthers died because of intraspecific-aggression, or fighting among panthers”(Bester). With all of this in mind, many actions have been taken to help with the recovery rate and population of the Florida Panther. Many different plans have been devised to help with the issues. “The initial recovery plan was prepared by the Florida Panther Recovery Team and was approved by the Fish and Wildlife Service” (United States). The plan was to develop three viable, self-sustaining populations within the historic range of the panther through: 1) identifying, protecting, and enhancing the existing range and habitat, 2) establishing positive public opinion and support and management of the panther, and 3) reintroducing panthers into areas of suitable habitats (Bester). Another plan was put into effect after several months of research and thought. After much preparation, the idea of bringing in panthers from other regions was put into effect in order to increase the panther population in Florida. Both of these plans have been a success, but the panther is still on the endangered species list. Reserves have played another major role in the comeback of the Florida panther. “The absolute size of reserve networks will vary. What is important is...