VIDEO: Florida Panther Population Growing After Declared Critically Endangered, Say FWC Officials
By FOX 35 // November 25, 2016
FWC estimates between 110-200 panthers in Florida
ABOVE VIDEO: The Nature Conservancy is working with partners to buy critical lands, bringing hope for the future of these majestic animals.
(FOX 35) – Wildlife officials are excited about the possible existence of an adult female Florida panther living north of the Caloosahatchee River in Lee County.
This would be the first documented case of a female cat north of the river since the 1970s.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says some males have traveled north of the river in the past as they leave their mothers, but it is important to track females, as they tend to set up their home range quite close to where they were born.
Kipp Frohlich is with the FWC Division of Habitat and Species Conservation. He says if a female has traveled north of the Caloosahatchee, it is a good sign of an expanding population of the critically endangered animal.
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