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| Florida panther (Wikipedia). |
Until my frequent correspondent, Jamie Rappaport Clark, CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, emailed me today regarding the deaths of a couple of Florida panther kittens, I’d not given much thought to that species of wildlife.
I hastily turned to Wikipedia for help and discovered that
panthers are a subspecies of cougar, also known as mountain lions, pumas, and
catamounts. Wiki adds: “but in the southeastern United States and particularly
in Florida, it is exclusively known as the panther.
With that bit of background on this particular species,
let’s return to Jamie’s message that warns of panthers in peril:
Dear Virginia,
It’s a sight that would break your heart.
Two panther kittens, each only four months old, lying dead by the side of a Florida highway - the victims of an August hit and run.
Discovery of the kittens’ broken bodies put the 2014 death toll on track to set a new and heartbreaking record.
Your urgent support to Defenders will help us save panthers, as well as other vulnerable wildlife like wolves and manatees.
The kittens were the 15th and 16th of these majestic cats killed by motorists this year. And since then, reports have come in of two more highway panther deaths, making the grisly total one fatality short of tying the record. This is not a record any of us want to see beaten.
Once roaming throughout the southeastern United States, today the Florida panther population is restricted to less than five percent of its historic range in south Florida. Persecution, hunting, land clearing and other activities drove panthers to near extinction. By the 1950s, fewer than 20 animals remained.
Thanks to your support, we’ve helped rebuild panther numbers, but they are far from safe. Today, fewer than 200 of these beautiful animals survive in the wild.
Two panther kittens, each only four months old, lying dead by the side of a Florida highway - the victims of an August hit and run.
Discovery of the kittens’ broken bodies put the 2014 death toll on track to set a new and heartbreaking record.
Your urgent support to Defenders will help us save panthers, as well as other vulnerable wildlife like wolves and manatees.
The kittens were the 15th and 16th of these majestic cats killed by motorists this year. And since then, reports have come in of two more highway panther deaths, making the grisly total one fatality short of tying the record. This is not a record any of us want to see beaten.
Once roaming throughout the southeastern United States, today the Florida panther population is restricted to less than five percent of its historic range in south Florida. Persecution, hunting, land clearing and other activities drove panthers to near extinction. By the 1950s, fewer than 20 animals remained.
Thanks to your support, we’ve helped rebuild panther numbers, but they are far from safe. Today, fewer than 200 of these beautiful animals survive in the wild.
But with your help, Defenders is leading efforts
on the ground to save panthers by:
- Working to restore funding to Florida’s land acquisition program, Florida Forever, through the recent passage of the Florida Water and Land Conservation Amendment to the State Constitution, a measure that designates billions of dollars over the next 20 years for natural resources, wildlife and habitat conservation;
- Advocating for expanding national wildlife refuges and other protected habitat in Florida;
- Educating motorists to “give panthers a brake” by driving more slowly in panther territory;
- Pressing for installation of wildlife crossings along dangerous road segments;
- Improving landowner incentive programs to conserve and restore important panther habitat and travel corridors; and
- Stopping development projects that would severely fragment and threaten panther habitat.
These heartbreaking deaths are a stern reminder
that our work is far from done. We can have a world in which people and
panthers thrive but only if you and I act now.
Thank you for all you do.
Sincerely,
Jamie Rappaport Clark
President
Defenders of Wildlife
Jamie Rappaport Clark
President
Defenders of Wildlife
