Florida Panther Endangered
I love the sound of the word Panther.
It sounds majestic, and the cat is majestic and is about to disappear from the planet.
When I was in high school the name of my team was the Cold Water Panthers. I just love that name.
I am a cat person. We have two dogs and one cat but I do like cats. Right now we have a big yellow tom cat and he doesn't have much to do with me. He will swipe a paw at me as I walk by. I honestly didn't do anything to make him mad he just likes the ladies more than men.
I guess I just will not get to attached to a cat. I had a spectacular black and white cat at one point in my life. I loved the little thing and she would sleep right next to me. I had to move and I was unloading the truck not paying as much attention to my little car as I should have been.
I heard dogs barking and my cat screaming. By the time I could get to the cat wild dogs had killed my cat. From that time on I just didn't want to get to attached to a cat. I doubt that is the reason my tom cat paws at me but it makes for a good story.
When I think of a this cat I think of a big black cat but as you see in the picture not all of these wonderful animals are black. It is my understanding this cat is an ansester of the Puma, another beautiful cat.
According to Defenders.org "The Florida panther, Florida's state animal, is one of the most endangered mammals on earth. It is tawny brown on the back and pale gray underneath. The Florida cat is one of 30 Puma concolor subspecies known by many names – puma, cougar, mountain lion, painter, catamount and big cat."
Defenders.org goes on to tell us, Global Warming and Other Threats
Defenders at Work Defenders of Wildlife is working to save animal by protecting the large tracks of habitat necessary to their survival in Florida. Defenders is also working with public cats, and wildlife agencies to re-establish this cat in their historic range.
One of the effects of global warming is sea-level rise, which, due to Florida's low elevation, puts a tremendous strain on its ecosystems and critical habitats.
These cats are also threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation due to human development, collision with vehicles, territorial disputes between this type cat (intraspecific aggression), inbreeding resulting from an isolated population, mercury poisoning, parasites and disease (such as feline leukemia and feline distemper).
Reasons For Hope In 2008, a coalition of leading conservation organizations and landowners in Eastern Collier County announced a Florida Panther Protection Program, whose main objectives are to protect a significant, contiguous range for the wide-roaming cat and to create a fund that can help acquire, restore or enhance the cats habitat.
Such funding would also help install panther crossings and fencing to help the cats safely cross roads.
For more information go to Panther - Endangered
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