If You See a Panther
January 26, 1980
The Panther is one of he most endangered animals. It may well be teetering on the very verge of extinction.
The decline of the panther has been under way at least since the arrival of white man. Like other large carnivorous animals, the species cannot live in dense concentrations. It takes an enormous area to support each individual. Therefore, when one or two of the animals are killed, the panther population over many square miles is eliminated. This elimination process started with the early settlers who attempted to destroy panthers at every opportunity because of losses to livestock and imagined fears for their lives.
The panthers which survived this persecution were probably those which showed the greatest fear of man and the greatest reluctance to appear in open areas. Then, when deer were nearly eradicated in the 1930’s to control the fever tick, panthers strayed from the relative safety of their normal haunts in search of prey. This resulted in more hunting pressure by ranchers and almost lead to the final doom of the animal.
Partial protection was given to the now rare panther in 1950. At this time, panthers could still be hunted only during the open season for deer and animals that were found destroying livestock could be taken by special permit at any time. In 1958, the panther was removed from the native game animal list and given complete legal protection.
Since then, even with panthers legally protected from deliberate killing, human commercial developments and long term economic projects have continually encroached upon the diminishing critical panther habitat. A the present time, it is not known whether or where a viable or reproducing population of panthers still occurs in Florida. A few indisputable records of the species exist but they are mostly of dead animals and altogether do not reveal a particular population that might be in any way feasible to manage.
If the panther is to be saved from extinction, the first step is to find a viable population. If you see a panther or its sign, you should do your best to collect some tangible evidence of the animals presence.
Although, there is a great deal of variation in color, the Florida panther is usually a uniform rusty or tawny cinnamon-buff color (deer-colored) on the back and whitish underneath. The tip of the tail, back to the ears and sides of the nose are dark brown or blackish. Panther kittens are yellowish-brown with dark brown or blackish bands around the tail until they are approximately six months of age and have blue eyes. Although many people have the misconception that panthers are black, there has never been a black panther.
Adult panthers are usually silent but they are capable of most of the 9 gradations and tones of the domestic cat, only much louder. These sounds include purring mewing caterwauling and spitting notes. The caterwauling is reputed to sound like a woman screaming.
The principle foods of he panther are the white-tailed deer, wild hogs and raccoons. They will however take almost any other prey of suitable size. If the prey is a deer, the killing bite will be on the back of the neck or the base of the skull. The canine tooth holes will be two inches apart. The bobcat lacking the jaw power and weight for the neck bite and head twist attacks by leaping on the animal and riding it while biting into the throat to suffocate it and sever the jugular vein. A bobcats canine teeth are only one inch apart at most.
If you are one of those people lucky enough to see a panther or its sign, you’ll always have a good story to tell your grandchildren. You might be able to look back with pride some day and say, “I helped save the panther from extinction.”
We think that the panther will survive as we have started today with a new breed of panthers.
At last report, we heard that the Panthers had survived and beat the Mustangs 12 to 0 in Louisiana.
The decline of the panther has been under way at least since the arrival of white man. Like other large carnivorous animals, the species cannot live in dense concentrations. It takes an enormous area to support each individual. Therefore, when one or two of the animals are killed, the panther population over many square miles is eliminated. This elimination process started with the early settlers who attempted to destroy panthers at every opportunity because of losses to livestock and imagined fears for their lives.
The panthers which survived this persecution were probably those which showed the greatest fear of man and the greatest reluctance to appear in open areas. Then, when deer were nearly eradicated in the 1930’s to control the fever tick, panthers strayed from the relative safety of their normal haunts in search of prey. This resulted in more hunting pressure by ranchers and almost lead to the final doom of the animal.
Partial protection was given to the now rare panther in 1950. At this time, panthers could still be hunted only during the open season for deer and animals that were found destroying livestock could be taken by special permit at any time. In 1958, the panther was removed from the native game animal list and given complete legal protection.
Since then, even with panthers legally protected from deliberate killing, human commercial developments and long term economic projects have continually encroached upon the diminishing critical panther habitat. A the present time, it is not known whether or where a viable or reproducing population of panthers still occurs in Florida. A few indisputable records of the species exist but they are mostly of dead animals and altogether do not reveal a particular population that might be in any way feasible to manage.
If the panther is to be saved from extinction, the first step is to find a viable population. If you see a panther or its sign, you should do your best to collect some tangible evidence of the animals presence.
Although, there is a great deal of variation in color, the Florida panther is usually a uniform rusty or tawny cinnamon-buff color (deer-colored) on the back and whitish underneath. The tip of the tail, back to the ears and sides of the nose are dark brown or blackish. Panther kittens are yellowish-brown with dark brown or blackish bands around the tail until they are approximately six months of age and have blue eyes. Although many people have the misconception that panthers are black, there has never been a black panther.
Adult panthers are usually silent but they are capable of most of the 9 gradations and tones of the domestic cat, only much louder. These sounds include purring mewing caterwauling and spitting notes. The caterwauling is reputed to sound like a woman screaming.
The principle foods of he panther are the white-tailed deer, wild hogs and raccoons. They will however take almost any other prey of suitable size. If the prey is a deer, the killing bite will be on the back of the neck or the base of the skull. The canine tooth holes will be two inches apart. The bobcat lacking the jaw power and weight for the neck bite and head twist attacks by leaping on the animal and riding it while biting into the throat to suffocate it and sever the jugular vein. A bobcats canine teeth are only one inch apart at most.
If you are one of those people lucky enough to see a panther or its sign, you’ll always have a good story to tell your grandchildren. You might be able to look back with pride some day and say, “I helped save the panther from extinction.”
We think that the panther will survive as we have started today with a new breed of panthers.
At last report, we heard that the Panthers had survived and beat the Mustangs 12 to 0 in Louisiana.
