The Florida panther is one of the most endangered species in North America. Scientists estimate there are only about 80 panthers left, occupying about five percent of their original range.

When a species is protected by the Endangered Species Act, it means that the federal government must seek to help it through study, management and habitat protection. This has led to a number of programs to help the Florida panther.

In the early 1980s, scientists began to trap panthers and collar them with radio transmitters. By monitoring the cats electronically, scientists learned that the panther uses a wide variety of habitats, from forested uplands to cypress swamps. They especially need cover, particularly forested uplands in southwest Florida, where they hide and stalk their prey, deer and feral hogs.

In 1987, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a recovery plan for the Florida panther. The plan called for the establishment of three self-sustaining populations within the cat's historic range.

Today, the panther continues to be a victim of habitat loss, environmental contaminants, motor vehicle collisions, prey scarcity and immune deficiencies. Wildlife managers in Florida test many tactics to eliminate these problems, such as setting aside land for panther habitat and building passes under highways where panthers are most often killed. Biologists have also struggled to slow the loss of genetic viability in the remaining panther population. With so few animals, panthers have been inbreeding for decades. With the declining diversity of their gene pool, problems such as infertility and heart abnormalities increased.

In 1989, data collected from 29 radio-collared panthers indicated that the population was losing genetic diversity at a rate of three to seven percent yearly. Researchers believed that the gene pool would continue to erode even if the population stabilized, leading to extinction within 40 years. Three years later, biologists made a controversial decision and introduced several female Texas cougars — the closest remaining cougar population that had historically shared the panther’s range. Several hybrid litters have since been produced, and the introduction seems to have corrected some of the problems experts generally attribute to inbreeding. Experts are still debating the role of the Texas cougars in panther recovery.

Panthers are still at great risk of extinction. The two major causes of death are road kills and territorial conflicts between the cats. The only way to protect the Florida panther is to expand their available habitat. While there is widespread popular support for panther reintroduction in Florida, some people are still concerned about introducing the cat to new areas, fearing the panther will bring with it restrictions on private property uses and potential interactions with livestock, pets, or human safety.

Support NWF's conservation efforts by symbolically adopting a Florida Panther today.