Preserving the once nearly extinct Florida panther

Bang! There’s a thud on the front of your car. You’ve hit something. You pull over, stop, and see that you’ve hit and killed a panther crossing the road.

It’s been happening about twice a month lately, enough to worry wildlife biologists because the Florida panther is an endangered animal.

Because we built roads and housing developments in panther habitat, humans and automobiles have become a serious threat to a panther’s life and safety. By mid-August, at least 15 panthers were killed by cars this year. One was hit by a train. In 2019, automobiles took the lives of 24 panthers.

It’s unlikely you’ll encounter a panther on suburban roads in Broward or Palm Beach counties. But drive west on Alligator Alley (Interstate 75) and you’re in panther territory, primarily in Southwest Florida, east of Naples, around Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. Occasionally, Florida panthers have been spotted further north.

Despite the threat from automobiles, the panther population is growing. Back in the 1980s, state wildlife officials estimated there were fewer than 30 Florida panthers alive. Today, from 120 to 230 grown panthers are roaming Southwest Florida.

There were so few panthers many years ago because no one really cared much about protecting them.

Ashlee O’Connor, who speaks at schools and to community groups for the state wildlife conservation commission, says people hunted them without any limit. Then, in 1958, the state began protecting panthers, designating them endangered animals. The federal government followed in 1967.

Still, O’Connor says, we didn’t know much about the Florida panther in the 1980s. Since then, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have been partners in various ways to protect and preserve the Florida panther, which is a subspecies of puma.

A number of extensive steps have been taken to protect panthers.

To prevent the cats from getting hit by cars on I-75, 60 wildlife
crossings and bridges were built under and over the highway where there’s fast-moving traffic. Fences along I-75 help prevent the panthers from crossing elsewhere. A panther wouldn’t have much of a chance if hit by a car traveling 70 mph.

Speed limits were reduced on rural roads in panther habitat. Road shoulders were widened in some places to give drivers a better view, and a chance to see a panther that’s about to cross the road. Rumble strips were installed where panthers often cross and slow the speed of cars considerably. Roadside “panther warning” signs were installed.

These days, wildlife experts are still learning more about panthers’ habits and range by tracking them from the air. Normally, they fly over panther habitat three times a week in airplanes equipped to pick up signals from a radio collar previously put on the cat after it had been captured.

A male panther will typically roam an area about 200 square miles. Female panthers, on the other hand, typically stay within an 80-square-mile area.

To study the health of the panthers, veterinarians need to examine a number of them each year and must capture them to do it. They use a trained dog to track the panther. Eventually, the cat climbs a tree. The team sets up a net and an inflated air cushion under the tree to catch the animal after it’s shot with a tranquilizer dart.

A veterinarian anesthetizes the animal and begins a complete examination. The vet inoculates the panther against diseases, takes a blood sample, de worms the panther if necessary, tattoos an I.D. number in its ear, inserts a microchip under the skin (just as it’s done with your dog or cat), and fits the panther with a radio collar for tracking.

One of the vaccinations is against feline leukemia that can be fatal to panthers and picked up from domestic cats.

In the wild, panthers survive by preying on a  variety of animals, including deer, calves, goats, and smaller animals like raccoons and rabbits.

Adult panthers are at the top of the food chain and have no natural predators. It’s a different story for the kittens, though.

They are prey for other animals and die for a number of reasons.

People sometimes ask if such an extensive effort to preserve a species of animal is worth it.  Ashlee O’Connor points to the panther’s place in the check and balance of the natural environment and considers the preservation of Florida panthers a kind of reparation for taking some of their habitat in the first place.

Whether what’s being done is enough cannot be certain. “Many factors play into the recovery of a species,” O’Connor says. “There’s a breeding population now. I think we’re on our way to a recovered population. We’re making progress, but we’re not there yet.”

Older dogs make great pets

During the month of November, many humane societies and adoption centers worldwide bring attention to adopting senior pets.

Caring for an animal provides a sense of responsibility, purpose, and fulfillment. In more ways than one, pets can improve a person’s well-being. Not only are you saving the animal’s life, but you are enhancing your own. Pets can help reduce anxiety, depression, and stress.

Adopting a senior pet provides plenty of benefits. Older dogs usually require less training. Not only are they calmer, less energetic, and easy to train, many senior pets are house trained and understand basic commands.

Betty Delman, animal lover and creator of the phone application, “Dog, Cats, and Me,” agrees. “I just lost my 15-year-old dog a year ago. I couldn’t handle a lot of energy, chewing, and a not potty-trained dog. It was so much more relaxing having an older dog around. Everyone wants a puppy, but when they grow up, they lose interest. Older dogs are great companions. It is a friendship and easier having an older settled dog.”

Delman’s mobile application caters to kids ages four to ten. Not only does the application practice reading skills, but it helps children to learn more about dogs, cats, and the humane treatment of animals in a fun and engaging way.

Adjusting to a new home environment is easier for senior pets than puppies because they have come from a family life before being placed in a shelter.

When adopting an older animal, personalities and traits continue to develop by the time you bring them home, so you can tell right away if he/she will mesh well with your family.  Besides being calmer, senior animals do not require the constant attention and exercise that comes with puppies. Their mellow nature is an excellent fi t for older individuals and families looking to add companionship to their lives.

Delman believes that if you are unsure about adopting a pet right away, considering fostering fi rst. “If more people foster, then maybe the shelters can get more dogs and train them to be a good dog for their forever home,” Delman said.

Not only are you welcoming a lifetime of love into your home when you adopt a senior pet, but you are also saving a life with many fun years ahead.

If you are looking to add some excitement and companionship to your routine, reach out to Humane Society of Broward County, Abandoned Pet Rescue Inc, Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center, and Paws South Florida Rescue to find your furry friend.

Interested in giving these two 10-year old beautiful cats (brother and sister) a new forever home?

Please contact publisher@theparklander.com

 

PETTALK: Tight Quarters

I have always been the Kalick family veterinary consultant, regardless of where my family lives. My family who lives in Ohio will always consult with me via the phone when there is a problem, and typically I will tell them they need to see their local veterinarian. Their veterinarian and I have become friends and she sends me all the records, digital x-rays, and bloodwork as soon as she gets them, it saves her a phone call from my aunt asking to send them to me.

One interesting thing that has changed since the pandemic is that my aunt and uncle have become very adept with Facetime and Zoom.

Today’s issue is with Titus, their cat. Titus is a geriatric tabby cat that my aunt thought was depressed because her kids moved out of the house. I would never contradict my aunt, but I think Titus is happy the kids moved out. Titus took back control of the big house, and because the kids took the dog with them, Titus gets to sit in the large bay window watching the world pass by.

However, today my aunt was concerned that Titus had a urinary tract infection because he was urinating in a closet on my uncle’s shoes.

My aunt sat in the room during the Facetime call, switching my view so I could watch Titus sleeping in the window. She wanted me to see the closet that Titus was using as his new litterbox, so she swung the camera around the room so I could see the hall closet. She told me he never used that closet before and now he never wants to leave the room.

Then she walked down the hall with her iPhone because she wanted to show me Titus’s litter box. My aunt, God bless her, talked the entire way from the front room to the bathroom, bouncing her phone the whole time. She got into the bathroom and showed me Titus’ litterbox crammed between the bathroom vanity and the toilet. It looked like it hadn’t ever been used. It. left no room for the cat to move in the box if he ever wanted to use it.

The craziest part of the story was that the bathroom door was closed like Titus could open it with his paws if he needed to.

When I mentioned that the bathroom door was closed and no one was using it, my aunt started to talk about changing the brands of kitty litter or playing music in the house. I even mentioned that if someone is using the bathroom or taking a shower, the door will never be open.

She said that she never thought of that.

Titus’ litterbox was always in the room where he slept, easily accessible, and near his food. I told my aunt that the rule of thumb is that you should have one extra box in the house.

This means: one cat equals two boxes and one of the boxes should be in the front room where he sleeps and spends most of his day.

After she thanked me and was about to hang up, I heard my uncle in the background yelling to my aunt, “What does he think of the new kitten?”

New kitten? My aunt winked at the phone and said it was a topic for another day.

 

By Dr. Glenn Kalick