There is good news for Florida's dwindling panther population: conservation efforts are getting a thumbs-up following the detection of a female panther in the male-dominated northern territory after more than 40 years.
Panthers have been declared an endangered species in the U.S.
Now, hopes are riding high that a new population addition is in the offing, with the female panther expected to mate with males and supplement the falling population south of the river.
According to a press note by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the female panther was found on the northern side after more than 40 years. This also confirmed that the feline indeed crossed the Caloosahatchee river which had been a barrier for panther breeding.
"This is a big deal for panther conservation," said Kipp Frohlich, deputy division director of habitat and species conservation.
He is optimistic that the panther's breeding range is going to expand and will be heralding a recovery in population.
Panthers fell into hard times over a combination of factors that included poaching and loss of habitat. As of now, the Florida panther is the only puma remaining east of the Mississippi.
Long Vigil and Camera Trail
Regarding the big news of female panther presence, biologists had to work hard to confirm their doubts. They had been on the prowl for "a suspicious panther" that showed up in photos on the cameras at Babcock Ranch. The female panther was snapped in a picture in 2015. It was a hard task to scout the whole northern area that is spread in 74,000 acres of pasture in southwest Florida.
To clarify the doubts, biologists set up more cameras that took more pictures with the panther's gender still remaining unclear.
Finally, the female panther's presence was confirmed in early November after tracks captured in the camera were preserved by the biologists with a plaster cast. The smaller size of the footprint reinforced their doubts that it belonged to a female.
The female tracks found in Charlotte County in early November were finally confirmed by Panther team leader Darrell Land.
Though precise details as to when the female panther crossed the river are unknown, there is jubilation because this is the first time since 1973 traces of a female panther were found.
Panthers Crossing Rivers
Though Florida male panthers were noticed as far as Georgia, the females never strayed into the north and chose to remain in South Florida.
Male panthers do cross the river seeking mates, but females habitually stayed close to their mothers and rarely crossed the river. There are also cases of traffic deaths faced by male panthers.
Now that a female panther has finally crossed the river and there is "great hope that the last pumas in the eastern United States will not be forever stuck at the southern tip of Florida," said Tampa nature photographer Carlton Ward Jr.
Photo: Florida Fish and Wildlife| Flickr
