Conservation status: THE FLORIDA PANTHER
The number of living FLORIDA panthers is estimated to be between 80 and 100.
Recovery efforts are currently underway in Florida to conserve the state's remaining population of native panthers. This is a difficult task, as the panther requires large contiguous areas of habitat — each breeding unit, consisting of one male and two to five females, requires about 200 square miles of habitat. A population of 240 panthers would require 8,000 to 12,000 square miles of habitat and sufficient genetic diversity in order to avoid inbreeding as a result of small population size.
The introduction of eight female cougars from a closely related Texas population has apparently been successful in mitigating inbreeding problems.
Southern Florida is a fast-developing area, and declining habitat threatens this species. The two highest causes of mortality for the Florida panthers are automobile injuries and aggression between panthers for territory. The primary threats to the population as a whole include habitat loss, habitat degradation, and habitat fragmentation.
Southern Florida is a fast-developing area, and declining habitat threatens this species. The two highest causes of mortality for the Florida panthers are automobile injuries and aggression between panthers for territory. The primary threats to the population as a whole include habitat loss, habitat degradation, and habitat fragmentation.
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