Florida panthers (puma concolor coryi) are an endangered species. They are also one of the world's great restoration success stories. Having once roamed not only in Florida but also in Georgia, Alabama, and other states, they were reduced to less than 30 panthers by the 1970s and 1980s. Through the work of some very dedicated people and the support of the great majority of citizens of Florida, their numbers now are estimated to be between 120 and 230 panthers in Florida, with the great majority of those in the southwestern region of the state.
As the number of panthers continue to increase, and as more people continue to move to Florida, the interactions between people and panthers also increases. Our program utilizes the images and videos that are generated by our Remote Camera Program to help bring awareness about panthers and how we can live with them.
Additionally, panthers are the ambassadors that can help us show the importance of protecting the still wild places of Florida and how doing that will ensure the long term sustainability of this state. By protecting the wild places that allow the panthers to continue to rebound, we make sure that all of the other species under their umbrella survive and that the greater ecosystem also continues to rebound. We hope that our images and videos will help show this and show the importance of the "path of the panther".
