Endangered: The Florida Panther

Once found in the south eastern region of the United States, the Florida panther is now only found in southern Florida around the Everglades. There are only about 70 adult Florida panthers left today. Get this, road kills are the leading cause of death for all panthers. That is unbelievable. Then underpasses were built just for the panther to get past I-75 without getting killed.

Panthers live up to twelve years old. If the male can make it to five or six, they can easily make it to ten. Most young males are killed by older males, while they are looking to mate. Other causes of death include rabies, heart defects, infections, and pseudo-rabies.

Panthers are solitary hunters, like most cats, except the lion. Panthers usually hunt at dawn or dusk. They hunt in a silent stance while posing to avoid being detected. They take the kill by taking the prey around the neck and shoulders. Large prey is killed by severing the spinal cord. Most are suffocated while smaller mammals are usually killed with small bites to the skull. They consume anywhere from 9-14 kg of meat per meal. They only eat about once a week. They also cover their prey with twigs and leaves.

Males are ready to mate at about three years old, while the female is ready at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years old. They often mate with more then one partner. The mating pair will stay and hunt with one another for about a week, during the mating process. After about ninety-two to ninety-six days anywhere from one to four kittens are born. The female will not mate again until the kittens have reached maturity at 1 1/2 to 2 years old.

In 1958, the Florida panther was declared an endangered species. Then by 1967 the Federal Government declares the Florida panther endangered. In 1978, law was passed that shooting a panther is no longer a misdemeanor, but now a felony. In 1989, The Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge was established. It consists of 24,000 acres. Several panther kittens are captured from the wild for breeding program in efforts of saving the Florida panther.