New photos spark hope of saving endangered Florida panther species
Nature trail cameras caught a rare sight that is instilling hope for the recovery of one of Florida’s most endangered species: the Florida panther.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Wildlife Service trail cameras photographed a female panther and a four- to five-month-old kitten north of the Caloosahatchee River in Lee County, the FWC said.
Seeing a male panther out in the wild is nothing new, but a female is rare and less well documented.
“Recent confirmations of females and offspring north of the Caloosahatchee marked the beginning of a new chapter in panther recovery efforts,” the FWC said in a Facebook post.
There have been many panther sightings in South Florida, mostly toward the west coast and in the Everglades, according to an FWC sightings map.
There are only an estimated 120 to 230 adult panthers alive, the FWC said. Most of the panther breeding population stays restricted to South Florida, below the Caloosahatchee River.
The FWC is asking anyone with trail camera photos of panther kittens north of the Caloosahatchee River to share them with FWC at myfwc.com/panthersightings.
This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 7:06 PM.
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