Puma Concolor Coryi - The Florida Panther (Endangered)

A subspecies of cougar currently living in the swamps and forests of Southern Florida, the Florida Panther is the only large feline remaining in the Southeast. It was once found throughout the southeast United States, and is now only found in a small area of South Florida (5% of its former range). There are fewer than 160 of these felines alive today.

The reason the Florida Panther is so few in numbers today is because of one main reason: habitat loss. The habitat loss is driven by Florida’s booming population, causing new infrastructure to be built near and, in most cases, on top of the Florida Panther’s habitat. With highways and developments infringing upon the space the panther has to roam, male Florida Panthers often have fatal clashes. The roads, nonetheless slashing through the panther’s habitat, also kill them directly because of vehicle collisions.

The only way for the panther to recover involves creating more room and expanding its habitat. But Florida’s population is rising, and therefore more roads and developments will be needed to support it; there are already towns that are planning to be built in the habitat of the Florida Panther.

The future of the Florida Panther does not appear to be great, but YOU can make a difference. Adopt your own panther today, and help reverse the damage done by us.

https://secure.defenders.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=wagc_panther&s_src=3WEW1700XXXXX&s_subsrc=010717_adopt_block_florida-panther/protecting-restoring-panther-habitat