Florida Panther of the Everglades

Everglades Odyssey, The Florida Panther

The Florida panther is a sub-species of the cougar, which is called by many names, including mountain lion, catamount (slang for cat of the mountains) painter and puma depending on the locale. There are subtle variations between these sub-species, a result of adaptation to environment and other factors. Some are good and in the case of the Florida Panther, some have become very bad.

Although at one time, these beautiful cats ranged at will throughout the forests of five or six neighboring states, the very few which remain, all live within a narrow strip along the southernmost edge of Florida. Primarily in the Big Cypress National Preserve, the Corkscrew Swamp and the Everglades National Park. Today, they are on the brink of extinction.

Estimates of exactly how many survive depends on who you talk to. Those who make a living out of "save the cat programs", will tell you they number around thirty. Others who trek the wilds without any self interests to promote, make it closer to eighty. But even if this second figure is correct, it includes every male, female and kitten. Most likely, if drastic measures beyond those already taken are not applied, this cat will cease to exist in the wild within the next two decades.

The interests of man and the panther have been at odds for at least a century in Florida. The cats require large uninterrupted ranges for hunting and breeding. We desire farms, orchards, houses and shopping malls. The result has been loss of the panther's habitat. Adult panthers are solitary animals. Respecting the territories or ranges of other adult cats they don't socialize even with their own kind except to mate. Knowing instinctively that without their own range (100-400 square miles) they cannot find enough food to sustain a family, they will not breed. (In my opinion, some of our own sub-species might discover a clue here.) So this behavior is simply nature's way of accommodating occasional years of draught or other temporary setbacks which affects the food supply. But man marches on, so the setbacks are no longer temporary for the panther. The declining panther population and therefore shrinking gene pool, is resulting in all the normal negative effects of inbreeding.

Litters of kittens number from two to four in the wild. Again, this depends on the health and diet of the mother. On an average, fifty percent of those will perish in their first year, another twenty-five percent in the second, to alligators, birds of prey, wild pigs, accidents and other natural dangers. So being a baby panther is a very dangerous occupation. Also, approximately one panther (total) per year is lost to automobiles. It is rare, but a few have even been shot by ignorant poachers. Barring none of the aforementioned hazards get them, they may live to the ripe old age of twenty years.

A newborn panther weighs barely one pound. But they grow fast. Adult males may reach one hundred and fifty pounds, females ninety. Kittens are born spotted, with rings on their tails, an excellent camouflage for their environment. Eventually the spots fade and their coat becomes a beautiful tawny color. The young generally stay with their mother for 12-24 months learning survival techniques before venturing out on their own. Again, this can depend on the availability of food and territory.

(Another note by the editor. Aren't you getting sick of em?) These cats are truly beautiful animals. With their rounded ears, tawny coat and a small head in proportion to their large body, they have a "huggable" look about them. Indeed, for such a huge predator, many raised in captivity have proven quite gentle.

Not that I believe anyone should try to hug one or for that matter attempt to make a pet of any wild animal. They must be considered dangerous. With their exceptionally strong legs, they can leap fifteen or more feet in a single bound and charge their prey at about thirty-five miles per hour for short distances. Remember, they must kill to live and routinely take down white tails and ferocious wild hogs armed with tusks we would not even think of arguing with.

The few I have encountered close-up in the wild, exhibited no fear from or no aggressiveness towards me. Once a large male swam within an oar's length of my boat while crossing from one island to another. They are strong swimmers and apparently unlike many cats, do not mind entering the water. Other than keeping one eye on me while he went by, there was no other reaction. While canoeing in back water creeks, I've passed within ten or fifteen feet of them sunning on a grassy hummock. Again, they more or less ignored me. Ironic considering that humans are really the only natural enemy of an adult panther.

To my knowledge there have been no attacks on humans in Florida by the Panther. However, in the western United States, their cousins have in the past ten years killed nine human beings. So while caution is in order, if I could wish for anything for the Glades visitor to experience, it would be that you could observe one of these magnificent animals for yourself in its natural habitat. I could go on about this subject for hours. Tell you about listening to them scream in the night, like two giant alley cats and a dozen other stories, but you need to experience them yourself.

If you wish to learn still more about the Florida Panther, for yourself or for a school project, the most in depth factual source on the Florida Panther I've ever seen on the net is:

http://www.fpl.com/html/kid_pantherbook.html

As if the Everglades is just one big Safari theme park, tourists routinely ask me where they can drive their cars to observe this or that wild creature. My answer when it comes to these cats is: They move most at night, making them harder to spot. Which of course is the idea. But if I had patience and I was determined to see one from a car, it would be along Florida Highway 29. This route runs north and south between Immakolee and Everglades City. Every cat I have personally observed has been within ten miles (East, west or south) of this particular highway. Primarily from north of Alligator Alley (I-75) all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico. When I travel this route, especially at night, I keep a keen eye hoping not to see one crossing the road. But I have, several times.

Tom Cash

Everglades City, Florida

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