The Florida Panther

The Florida Panther has been an endangered species since 1967. The Florida panther is Florida’s state animal. There are less than 100 Florida panthers living. In the past, the Florida panther lived in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee. Today, they only live in southern Florida, the Everglades and the Big Cypress Swamp.

Female panthers have a litter of 1 to 3 kittens every other year.

Mothers stay with their young for 1.5 to 3 years. Male panthers are

120 pounds and are 7 ft. long. Panthers can leap more than 15 ft. and can run 35 miles per hour for a short distance. Panthers like to eat wild pigs and deer.

The destruction of the Florida panther’s habitat, collision with automobiles, and genetic defects that were caused by extensive inbreeding has caused the Florida panther to become threatened. Florida panthers live in pinelands and mixed swamps/forests. This is where they litter and raise their kittens. Newborns are blind and weigh about 1 pound. They also have spots; these spots help camouflage them. A panther may live as long as 12 to 15 years in the wild. To find a meal,

Panthers must travel 15 to 20 miles.

To save this animal I would find a space for the panthers and make sure they are not being harmed. I would put them in a National Forest in Florida and make sure they stay healthy. I’ll protect them by putting up signs to tell people that they can not kill or hunt the panthers. Also, I would make sure all the panthers are tagged to keep count or track, their offspring, habitat, and eating habits. Taking a female and male couple and putting them in area zoos so they may continue to have offspring could help preserve this wonderful big cat.

Makia
School: Campbell Middle School