The endangered Florida panther is back on the prowl at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, encouraging federal agencies that have worked hard to restore the cats but worrying some residents on whose lawns they have roamed.
One of the world's most endangered species, the panther is usually an elusive creature that prowls at night, out of the public's eye. But citizens in the Pinecrest area reported seeing the cats around homes and campgrounds on remote Loop Road last fall. Sightings in December, January, and March caused anxiety among some residents who said the panthers showed no fear of humans.
"We are trying to protect and preserve this large predator, but there are pressures from all around," says Bob DeGross, park spokesman, adding that the number of panthers has increased from between 30 and 50 in 1997 to between 80 and 100 today-thanks in part to the introduction of Texas cougars, a Park Service initiative that NPCA supported. "Most people want to know that there are panthers out there but don't want them attacking their livestock, or threatening lives," says DeGross.
Officials believe that there were never more than three cats sighted: a mother and her two offspring, all between 60 and 72 pounds. They surmise that the cats lost their fear of being around humans because they were born in populated areas, and that they prefer a habitat, such as Pinecrest, with dry hammocks and pine islands where deer and other wild animals gather.
Several residents have complained about the panthers and expressed a fear that the cats could become aggressive, especially with children. The Miccosukee Indians, whose reservation is east of the preserve, have said they may kill any panthers wandering onto tribal property if they threaten humans.
"We will not allow these animals to harm anyone, especially children," Billy Cypress, tribe chairman, wrote in a letter to wildlife officials. In response, however, officials say that the cats have shown no aggressiveness, and that there is no documented case of a Florida panther attacking a human. Wildlife officials have used dogs to scare the panthers away from the public, and they tranquilized the mother panther and placed radio collars around her and her offspring to track their movements. When they were spotted again in March, the panthers were hit with sling-shots. These methods worked, it seems; no further sightings were reported at press time.
"We feel the cats responded to our conditioning as they should," says DeGross, "basically taking off as soon as they have contact with people. Our first priority remains ensuring public safety."
