• News
  • Work Here
  • Volunteer Here
  • User Sign In
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our President's Message
    • Our Board
    • Strategic Solutions - Vision 2025
    • Staff
    • Work Here
      • Openings
      • Internships
        • Internships for Non-U.S. Citizens
    • Financials
    • Communications
      • In the News
      • Publications
        • Research Documents
        • Publication Archives
      • Media Tools
  • Our Work
    • Science
      • Water Monitoring
        • Naples Bay
        • Lakewatch
      • Mangrove Restoration
        • Clam Bay
        • Fruit Farm Creek
        • Pine Island Sound
        • Development Effects
        • Hurricane Effects
      • Urban Ecology
        • Golf Course Ecology
        • Filter Marsh
        • Smith Preserve Management
      • Western Everglades
        • Refugia Project
        • Picayune Strand Restoration
        • Southern Golden Gate Estates
      • Invasive Species
        • Burmese pythons
          • Burrow Borrowers
        • Cane toads
      • Wildlife Research
        • Loggerheads
        • Kemp's ridleys
        • Everglades Mink
        • Anuran
        • Remote Camera Survey
        • American Alligator
      • Science Blog
    • Policy
      • Take Action
      • Eye on the Issues
      • Eastern Collier County
      • Wetland Protection
      • Water Quality
        • Now or Neverglades
        • Lake O Ripple Effect
          • Stop the Ripple Effect
          • EAA Reservoir
        • Standards & Impaired Waters
        • Fertilizer Ordinance
        • Stormwater Regulation
        • Naples Bay & Gordon River
        • TMDLs and BMAPs
      • Land Conservation
        • Florida Forever
        • Conservation Collier
        • Edison Farms
        • Rural Lands Stewardship Area
      • Wildlife Protection
        • Florida Panther
          • Compensation program
        • Black Bears
        • Manatees
        • Lime Rock / Sand Mining
        • Eastern Collier Habitat
      • Smart Growth
      • Policy Blog
    • Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Hospital FAQ
      • Pelican Protection
      • Animal Acceptance Policy
      • What We Do
      • Wish List
      • Volunteer at Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Blog
    • Education
      • Virtual Learning
      • Summer Camp
      • Field Trips
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • School Outreach
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • Teacher Workshops
      • Teacher Resources
      • Education Blog
    • IMPACT
      • Edison Farms
      • Peace River Refuge
      • Mangrove Restoration
      • Western Everglades
      • Clean Water
      • Wildlife Protection
      • Rookery Bay
      • Gordon River Greenway
  • Nature Center
    • Plan Your Visit
      • Coupons
      • Daily Programs
      • Electric Boat Tours
      • Dalton Discovery Center
      • Wildlife Hospital Exhibits
      • Ferguson Learning Lab
      • Shotwell Wavering Filter Marsh
      • Smith Preserve
      • FAQs
    • Special Programs
      • Evenings at the Conservancy
      • Little Explorers
      • Group Tours
      • Family Fun Days
    • Kayaks
    • Offsite Programs
      • Rookery Bay Eco-Cruise
      • Nature Walks
      • Request Speaker
  • Climate Solutions
    • Growing Climate Solutions
  • Events
    • Annual Meeting
    • Earth Day
    • Magic Under the Mangroves
      • Magic Committee
      • Patron Party
      • History of Magic
    • RedSnook
      • RedSnook - Rules
      • RedSnook Guide List
      • RedSnook History
      • Launch Sites
  • Get Involved
    • Membership
      • Join
      • Renew
      • Leadership Circle
    • Donate
      • Monthly Giving
      • Planned Giving
        • Gift Options
        • Planned Giving Committee
        • The Eagle Society
      • Amazon Wish List
      • Send an eCard
      • Donor Privacy
      • Matching Gifts
    • Volunteer
      • Volunteer Application
      • Volunteer of the Month
    • Corporate Sponsors
  • Donate
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our President's Message
    • Our Board
    • Strategic Solutions - Vision 2025
    • Staff
    • Work Here
      • Openings
      • Internships
        • Internships for Non-U.S. Citizens
    • Financials
    • Communications
      • In the News
      • Publications
        • Research Documents
        • Publication Archives
      • Media Tools
  • Our Work
    • Science
      • Water Monitoring
        • Naples Bay
        • Lakewatch
      • Mangrove Restoration
        • Clam Bay
        • Fruit Farm Creek
        • Pine Island Sound
        • Development Effects
        • Hurricane Effects
      • Urban Ecology
        • Golf Course Ecology
        • Filter Marsh
        • Smith Preserve Management
      • Western Everglades
        • Refugia Project
        • Picayune Strand Restoration
        • Southern Golden Gate Estates
      • Invasive Species
        • Burmese pythons
          • Burrow Borrowers
        • Cane toads
      • Wildlife Research
        • Loggerheads
        • Kemp's ridleys
        • Everglades Mink
        • Anuran
        • Remote Camera Survey
        • American Alligator
      • Science Blog
    • Policy
      • Take Action
      • Eye on the Issues
      • Eastern Collier County
      • Wetland Protection
      • Water Quality
        • Now or Neverglades
        • Lake O Ripple Effect
          • Stop the Ripple Effect
          • EAA Reservoir
        • Standards & Impaired Waters
        • Fertilizer Ordinance
        • Stormwater Regulation
        • Naples Bay & Gordon River
        • TMDLs and BMAPs
      • Land Conservation
        • Florida Forever
        • Conservation Collier
        • Edison Farms
        • Rural Lands Stewardship Area
      • Wildlife Protection
        • Florida Panther
          • Compensation program
        • Black Bears
        • Manatees
        • Lime Rock / Sand Mining
        • Eastern Collier Habitat
      • Smart Growth
      • Policy Blog
    • Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Hospital FAQ
      • Pelican Protection
      • Animal Acceptance Policy
      • What We Do
      • Wish List
      • Volunteer at Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Blog
    • Education
      • Virtual Learning
      • Summer Camp
      • Field Trips
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • School Outreach
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • Teacher Workshops
      • Teacher Resources
      • Education Blog
    • IMPACT
      • Edison Farms
      • Peace River Refuge
      • Mangrove Restoration
      • Western Everglades
      • Clean Water
      • Wildlife Protection
      • Rookery Bay
      • Gordon River Greenway
  • Nature Center
    • Plan Your Visit
      • Coupons
      • Daily Programs
      • Electric Boat Tours
      • Dalton Discovery Center
      • Wildlife Hospital Exhibits
      • Ferguson Learning Lab
      • Shotwell Wavering Filter Marsh
      • Smith Preserve
      • FAQs
    • Special Programs
      • Evenings at the Conservancy
      • Little Explorers
      • Group Tours
      • Family Fun Days
    • Kayaks
    • Offsite Programs
      • Rookery Bay Eco-Cruise
      • Nature Walks
      • Request Speaker
  • Climate Solutions
    • Growing Climate Solutions
  • Events
    • Annual Meeting
    • Earth Day
    • Magic Under the Mangroves
      • Magic Committee
      • Patron Party
      • History of Magic
    • RedSnook
      • RedSnook - Rules
      • RedSnook Guide List
      • RedSnook History
      • Launch Sites
  • Get Involved
    • Membership
      • Join
      • Renew
      • Leadership Circle
    • Donate
      • Monthly Giving
      • Planned Giving
        • Gift Options
        • Planned Giving Committee
        • The Eagle Society
      • Amazon Wish List
      • Send an eCard
      • Donor Privacy
      • Matching Gifts
    • Volunteer
      • Volunteer Application
      • Volunteer of the Month
    • Corporate Sponsors
  • Donate

FLORIDA PANTHER IN PERIL

With only about 120-230 adult Florida panthers remaining, the population is considered to be at risk for extinction. And while they are protected under the Endangered Species Act, their habitat is not fully protected, which poses the single greatest threat to their existence.

From Urban to Agriculture podcast - "The Florida Panther"


Since the 1930s, at least one-third of the forested land in south Florida has been cleared for agricultural and residential development – and continued threats of fragmentation and development further jeopardize its recovery from the brink of extinction.


Primary Zone Development

The home range of the Florida panther once extended from Louisiana throughout the Southeast and the entire state of Florida. Today, however, the reproductive segment of the panther population is largely confined to areas south of the Caloosahatchee River. In Kautz et al. (2006), a study considered to be the best available science, biologists designated quality habitat centered in Collier, Lee and Hendry counties as "Primary Zone" lands. Panther biologists have defined the Primary Zone as the essential habitat needed to sustain the current population of panthers.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida advocates that development projects avoid impacting any panther habitat or take steps to minimize their impact, especially in this Primary Zone area. We continue to challenge projects such as the Rural Lands West – a 4,100-acre development in the Collier County Rural Land Stewardship Area – and push for such development to move outside of primary panther habitat areas.


Intraspecific Aggression

One of the main causes of death for the territorial Florida panther is what scientists call "intraspecific aggression." To prevent this, an adequate amount of preserved habitat is essential. Whereas panther densities are dependent on such factors as prey density and habitat quality, male panther home ranges average approximately 200 square miles and female home ranges average approximately 75 square miles. By preserving panther habitat and fighting inappropriate development, we can help panthers establish their own individual ranges and decrease these territorial disputes.


Corridors

The need to provide adequate home range territories is apparent. Unfortunately, development has created physical boundaries prohibiting a panther's movement from one conservation area to another. These islands of habitat must be connected by corridors in which panthers can safely move back and forth. These critical corridors promote a northern expansion of the existing panther population by facilitating their dispersal from south Florida.

Every year, a significant number of panthers are killed attempting to cross roads and the number of cats killed on the road each year will likely increase as a direct consequence of both an increasing human and panther population. 

It is imperative to make an attempt to reduce the rate of these human-caused mortalities by directing development away from areas important to panthers and implementing proven highway designs that facilitate the safe movement of panthers across roadways that bisect and fragment areas essential for the persistence and expansion of the panther population.


News

In 2017, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) initiated a 5-year status review for the Florida panther. The aim of this review is to assess new information and science, and ultimately will influence the species’ listing status under the Endangered Species Act list. The panther could be retained as Endangered, could be downlisted to Threatened, delisted and no longer receive protections, or possibly be considered for relisting as a Distinct Population Segment under the Act.

The Florida panther has been an essential part of Florida indigenous ecosystems for millennia. As our state mammal –selected by students in 1982- the panther needs continued protection at the highest level in order for our natural heritage to persist into perpetuity against intensified threats of habitat loss and its associated impacts, increased human population and interactions, genetic isolation, and other factors. These enduring threats continue to warrant listing of the Florida panther as endangered.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, in collaboration with our partners, advocates for the highest level of protection to continue to be afforded to this species.

Read our letter here.

  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our President's Message
    • Our Board
    • Strategic Solutions - Vision 2025
    • Staff
    • Work Here
      • Openings
      • Internships
        • Internships for Non-U.S. Citizens
    • Financials
    • Communications
      • In the News
      • Publications
        • Research Documents
        • Publication Archives
      • Media Tools
  • Our Work
    • Science
      • Water Monitoring
        • Naples Bay
        • Lakewatch
      • Mangrove Restoration
        • Clam Bay
        • Fruit Farm Creek
        • Pine Island Sound
        • Development Effects
        • Hurricane Effects
      • Urban Ecology
        • Golf Course Ecology
        • Filter Marsh
        • Smith Preserve Management
      • Western Everglades
        • Refugia Project
        • Picayune Strand Restoration
        • Southern Golden Gate Estates
      • Invasive Species
        • Burmese pythons
          • Burrow Borrowers
        • Cane toads
      • Wildlife Research
        • Loggerheads
        • Kemp's ridleys
        • Everglades Mink
        • Anuran
        • Remote Camera Survey
        • American Alligator
      • Science Blog
    • Policy
      • Take Action
      • Eye on the Issues
      • Eastern Collier County
      • Wetland Protection
      • Water Quality
        • Now or Neverglades
        • Lake O Ripple Effect
          • Stop the Ripple Effect
          • EAA Reservoir
        • Standards & Impaired Waters
        • Fertilizer Ordinance
        • Stormwater Regulation
        • Naples Bay & Gordon River
        • TMDLs and BMAPs
      • Land Conservation
        • Florida Forever
        • Conservation Collier
        • Edison Farms
        • Rural Lands Stewardship Area
      • Wildlife Protection
        • Florida Panther
          • Compensation program
        • Black Bears
        • Manatees
        • Lime Rock / Sand Mining
        • Eastern Collier Habitat
      • Smart Growth
      • Policy Blog
    • Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Hospital FAQ
      • Pelican Protection
      • Animal Acceptance Policy
      • What We Do
      • Wish List
      • Volunteer at Wildlife Hospital
      • Wildlife Blog
    • Education
      • Virtual Learning
      • Summer Camp
      • Field Trips
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • School Outreach
        • Pricing & Info
        • Registration
      • Teacher Workshops
      • Teacher Resources
      • Education Blog
    • IMPACT
      • Edison Farms
      • Peace River Refuge
      • Mangrove Restoration
      • Western Everglades
      • Clean Water
      • Wildlife Protection
      • Rookery Bay
      • Gordon River Greenway
  • Nature Center
    • Plan Your Visit
      • Coupons
      • Daily Programs
      • Electric Boat Tours
      • Dalton Discovery Center
      • Wildlife Hospital Exhibits
      • Ferguson Learning Lab
      • Shotwell Wavering Filter Marsh
      • Smith Preserve
      • FAQs
    • Special Programs
      • Evenings at the Conservancy
      • Little Explorers
      • Group Tours
      • Family Fun Days
    • Kayaks
    • Offsite Programs
      • Rookery Bay Eco-Cruise
      • Nature Walks
      • Request Speaker
  • Climate Solutions
    • Growing Climate Solutions
  • Events
    • Annual Meeting
    • Earth Day
    • Magic Under the Mangroves
      • Magic Committee
      • Patron Party
      • History of Magic
    • RedSnook
      • RedSnook - Rules
      • RedSnook Guide List
      • RedSnook History
      • Launch Sites
  • Get Involved
    • Membership
      • Join
      • Renew
      • Leadership Circle
    • Donate
      • Monthly Giving
      • Planned Giving
        • Gift Options
        • Planned Giving Committee
        • The Eagle Society
      • Amazon Wish List
      • Send an eCard
      • Donor Privacy
      • Matching Gifts
    • Volunteer
      • Volunteer Application
      • Volunteer of the Month
    • Corporate Sponsors
  • Donate

Learn more from our Policy and Advocacy Department

Pilot Program

The Florida Panther Pilot Compensation Program provides financial assistance to help alleviate financial hardship that small farms may experience due to Florida panthers preying on their free-ranging cattle.

Learn more

 

 

Manatees

Because the population of manatees in Southwest Florida is still very vulnerable, the Conservancy advocates against attempts to downlist the Florida manatee under the Endangered Species Act.

Learn more

 

Smart Growth

The Conservancy hopes to achieve continued viability of our natural environment and quality of life through growth management and land use planning.

Learn more

 

More from Policy:

  • Oil
  • Water Quality Standards
  • Fertilizer Ordinance
  • Florida panther
  • Black Bears
  • Manatees
  • Take Action

 

 

Please show Your Support!

  • Join
  • Donate
  • Volunteer

Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Address

1495 Smith Preserve Way
Naples, Florida 34102

Nature Center Hours

Monday - Saturday
9:30 am - 4:00 pm (ET)

Sunday: 12 pm - 4 pm

von Arx Wildlife Hospital Hours

239-262-2273
8 am - 8 pm (ET)
365 days a year

 

Contact

239-262-0304 phone
239-262-0672 fax

  • Visit Us
  • Webmaster
  • Privacy Policy

©2019 Conservancy of Southwest Florida. All Rights Reserved

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida website uses cookies, tracking pixels and related technologies. Cookies are small data files that are served by our platform and stored on your device. Our site uses cookies dropped by us or third parties for a variety of purposes including to operate and personalize the website. Also, cookies may also be used to track how you use the site to target ads to you on other websites.