Authorities Seek Killer of Endangered Florida Panther
By Chris Baskind in Environment
Florida game and conservation groups are offering a $15,200 reward for the conviction of whoever shot and killed one of the state’s endangered panthers.
The young female panther — one of perhaps a hundred still remaining in the wild — was killed on private property in rural Hendry County, between Ft. Myers and Lake Okeechobee. Investigators believe the breeding-age cat was shot sometime in late April. The carcass was found about a week later.
Florida panthers were once plentiful in the state. Early Florida settlers considered the panther a danger, and runaway development in the mid-20th century severely limited the panther’s range. By 1966, the Florida panther’s population was so tenuous that it was placed on the endangered species list. Despite strict management of their remaining numbers, conservationists believe there may be only a few dozen breeding-age female panthers in an area which used to support thousands.
Authorities have conducted a forensic examination of the dead panther, and are circulating flyers in the hope that someone will come forward with information about the shooter. It’s a third degree felony to kill or wound an endangered species in the state of Florida. Responsible parties could face three years in jail and fines up to $5,000. But the U.S. Humane Society says that prosecution in such cases is rare. Less than five percent of all poachers are brought to justice. The last successful prosecution of someone who shot a Florida panther occurred in 1984.
Anyone with information about the case may contact the The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office of Law Enforcement in Fort Myers, Fla. at (239) 561-8144. Anonymous tipsters should call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Line at (888) 404-3922.
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