Biologists announced new estimates for the population of the endangered Florida Panther at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s June meeting in Fort Myers. Experts now project between 100 and 180 cats are now living in the wild. That differs from the previous estimate of 100 to 160 cats. The Florida Panther was first placed on the Endangered Species List in 1973. We’ll explore the history of mitigation efforts to bring the Florida Panther back from the verge of extinction. We’ll also look at the current status of the panther, and opportunities and challenges to sustaining population growth in the future.
Guests:
Kipp Frohlich, Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, Imperiled Species Section Leader
Mark Lotz, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Panther Biologist