Counting Panthers

- may not be as relaxing as counting sheep, but the estimate is that between 150 and 200 of these majestic cats roam south-western Florida. Great efforts have been made to keep this population genetically diverse and (very recently) large swaths of land have been approved to expand the Florida Panther’s range. This wildlife corridor, championed by Carlton Ward and his team, has given the panthers a chance at survival. Male panthers roam about 200 square miles. When males have a territorial dispute, one often ends up dead, so having more space is crucial to the panther population. Females also need room to roam, requiring 50 square miles to set up space for their new families.

An important thing to keep in mind is the role of an ecosystem’s top predators. Florida Panthers keep the deer and wild hog populations under control. Without top predators, an ecosystem can become out of balance and disease among the usual prey can spread. Florida Panthers keep all of the Everglades animals on their toes!

Click below to learn more about Florida’s Wildlife Corridor:

https://floridawildlifecorridor.org/path-of-the-panther/

Fun Fact: When you're standing in the Fakahatchee Strand, there are 2-3 Florida Panthers somewhere in the park with you at any given time! "Uh, hello? Jed- is that you?