Ecology and Population Dynamics of the Florida Panther in Everglades National Park

Bass, Oron

The primary objective of this study is to determine the status of the Florida panther population in Everglades National Park. The Florida Panther (Felis concolor cory) originally occurred throughout most of the southeastern United States, and is one of 30 recognized subspecies (Hall1981, Anderson 1983). According to Cory ( 1986), the Florida panther was fairly common in undeveloped areas of Florida as late as the 1890's. Because it was considered a threat to humans and livestock, the State of Florida offered a bounty for panthers and animals were killed whenever encountered. In 1950, concern about the uncontrolled hunting of panthers led the State to classify the panther as a game animal and, since 1958, the panther has been fully protected from legal hunting in Florida. In 1967, the Florida panther was included on the first federal list of endangered and threatened species developed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, and it is presently listed as an endangered species by both the federal government and the State of Florida.