Preliminary Investigation of the Florida Panther in Big Cypress Swamp

Reeves, Kent

The Florida Panther, Felis concofor coryi, has been the subject of much :.1 speculation and concern regarding its status and distribution (Pritchard 1976). Population estimates vary from 20-200, yet no substantial data exists to support these numbers. The need to find a viable population of panthers to study and begin answering questions regarding their status and general biology, has prompted the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (GFC) to conduct preliminary field investigations throughout Florida. One population of panthers has been found in the Fakahatchee (Belden et at. 1977), and enough evidence (i.e., tracks and reliable sightings) supports the existence of a panther population in Everglades National Park (Dr. James Kushlan, Everglades National Park, Personal Communication). The objectives of this investigation were to (1) check areas of the Big Cypress Swamp not previously checked before, for panther sign and (2) determine if an area, where a panther had been killied and panther sign had been found by ENP biologists, contained a reproducing population of these rare animals.