Panther Conservation

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The Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) has been on the endangered species list since 1967 with only 130 individuals surviving within a small area in Southern Florida (Sullivan 2004). Prior to conservation efforts, the Florida panther has suffered several population losses due to inbreeding, habitat loss, and vehicular collisions with only an estimated 30 surviving individuals in the 1970s (Maehr 1992). The number one threat to the Florida panther is habitat loss and habitat fragmentation due to urban development in Southern FL within the hardwood hammocks and wetland habitats in which they live in. Most of the current panther population is located within public lands such as the Big Cypress National Reserve and the Everglades, with some rehabilitation centers such as White Oak and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge to help with conservation efforts within this area (see Figure 1: Florida Panther Home Ranges).
The loss of habitat over time for the Florida panther has caused problems with dispersal and inbreeding within smaller populations. Inbreeding within these smaller patches of land, has resulted in congenital birth defects such as heart conditions and abnormal tails resulting in shorter life spans and high infant mortality within the panther populations (Facemire et al. 1993). In an effort to ameliorate inbreeding, a subspecies of puma from Australia (P. c. stanleyana) was introduced into South FL and has increased current panther counts from 60 in the 1990s to 130 individuals in 2001 (Johnson et al. 2010). In addition to inbreeding, panthers also suffer from exposure to environmental contaminants from agriculture and/or from consuming wildlife (raccoons) containing mercury and androgen crippling chemi...

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Kautz, Randy et al. How much is enough? Landscape-scale conservation for the Florida panther. Biological Conservation 2006, 130: 118-133

Maehr, David S. Florida panther (Felis concolor coryi) : Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida found in Humphrey, S.R. (edition), Mammals 1992, University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA, volume I: 176-189

Maehr, David S. et al. Florida panther dispersal and conservation. Biological Conservation 2002, 106: 187-197

Murrow, Jennifer L., Cindy A. Thatcher, Frank T. van Manen and Joseph D. Clark. A Data-Based Conservation Planning Tool for Florida Panthers. Environ Model Access 2013, 18: 159-170, DOI: 10.1007/s10666-012-9336-0

Sullivan, J.D., Jr. Florida’s endangered species, threatened species and species of special concern. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2004, Tallahassee, FL, USA.

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