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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 6, 2007
Contacts:
Dani Moschella (FWC) 561-625-5122
Tom MacKenzie (USFWS) 404-679-7291
Layne Hamilton (USFWS) 239/353-8442 ext. 227
Report shows increase in human contact with Florida panthers
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) today released the 2007
Interagency Florida Panther Response Team Report that summarizes
human-panther interactions investigated by the Interagency Florida Panther
Response Team between December 2003 and June 2007.
The team includes biologists, law enforcement officers and other agency
representatives from the USFWS, National Park Service and the Florida Fish
and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). As more humans move into
panther habitat, the potential for human-panther interactions increases.
Therefore, the team developed a plan to promote public safety and panther
conservation.
Reported interactions included panther sightings and encounters, including one involving a panther that was removed from the wild because it was deemed a potential threat, and multiple domestic animal depredations.
Additionally, the report summarizes outreach and educational efforts
completed by the team, as well the work of partnering organizations and local government agencies, which provide the public with the information
and tools needed to live and recreate in panther habitat. To view the
report, visit http://www.fws.gov/verobeach or http://myfwc.com/panther/.
Tom R. MacKenzie
Chief, Media Relations
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Southeast Region
1875 Century Blvd Ste 410
Atlanta, GA 30345-3319
404-679-7291 Fax:404-679-7286 Cell: 678-296-6400
http://www.fws.gov/southeast
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 6, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth Fleming, Defenders of Wildlife (727) 823-3888
Three Panthers Killed By Cars in One Week
Defenders of Wildlife Voices Concern for Disappearing Panther Habitat
St. Petersburg, FL- Three Florida panthers have been killed by motor vehicles in the last week, raising serious questions about the conservation of this iconic species in south Florida. Defenders of Wildlife attributes these accidents to overdevelopment of the endangered panther's prime habitat, leading to more vehicle traffic and more panther fatalities as panthers look for new territory in ever-smaller patches of habitat.
The growing number of panther deaths caused by vehicles indicates how vulnerable the panthers are in rapidly developing south Florida. New figures from the U.S. Census Bureau rank Collier and Lee counties among the nation's top ten fastest growing metro areas.
"Much of the panthers' habitat has been degraded, fragmented or destroyed by development and road construction," said Elizabeth Fleming, Florida representative with Defenders of Wildlife. "The panthers' habitat is disappearing, forcing them to cross dangerous roadways in search of suitable options elsewhere."
The panther is a protected endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act, which prohibits anyone from killing a panther and prohibits federal agencies from authorizing, funding, or carrying out any action that could jeopardize the continued existence of the panther. Panthers once roamed much of the southeastern United States, but development has restricted them to just five percent of their historic range, and scientists estimate that there are only about 100 panthers left in southern Florida.
Six panthers have been killed by vehicles since the beginning of 2007. Nearly 10 percent of the known panther population has been killed by vehicles in the last 12 months.
"Local, state and federal governments should step up efforts to protect the panther and its habitat, but they continue to permit developments that destroy thousands of acres of the panther’s home," Fleming continued. "By failing to use its authority to avoid or adequately mitigate the damage, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is setting a dangerous precedent that disregards panther recovery needs and could jeopardize survival of the panther as well as other imperiled native Florida wildlife."
In February of 2007, Defenders of Wildlife filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Army Corps of Engineers for failing to properly assess the impacts of development in panther habitat.
