In this artist blog we get up to date with the state of the endangered Florida panther, Puma concolor coryi. See photos of these elusive animals and read about how the panthers are doing. See an up-close video of Florida panthers in the wild.
Adult Male in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
Credit/ David Shindle for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Dear Friends,
One of my best and earliest memories afield was as an 8-year-old little boy following along behind my father as he hunted deer in the woods of Mendocino County California (just north of Napa). It was a brisk fall evening. The leaves had fallen off the trees, and our footsteps were muffled by all the leaf litter as we walked uphill. We approached a group of oak trees, and to my astonishment a large California mountain lion jumped out of the closest tree and disappeared like smoke into the woods. He was so agile and quick, my heart felt like it would beat out of my chest! I will never forget that sight. It was these type of childhood outings that my love of nature springs from.
I am sorry to say, I have not seen a Florida panther in the wild... but I am hopeful that I will be able to see one and to share pictures of these elusive creatures with you. In the meantime, I have observed them in captivity and studied footage of them taken in the wild. There are other animals that can be mistaken for a panther. If you are interested in seeing a flyer that can help you to identify the differences between Florida panther, bobcat and coyote click here.
To bring attention to this amazing apex species, I have created many Florida panther sculptures. I hope you enjoy this blog about the Florida State Animal. Please send us your thoughts and opinions, and share this with others! We would love to hear if you have a story and/or a photo about panthers.
Please send us photos of your own Geoffrey Smith painting or sculpture if you want to share. Come visit us at the Studio!
-Geoffrey
Florida panther kittens in a den.
Credit: David Shindle for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation
We have Panther Sculptures
Panther Relaxed
Handle with Care, Panther and Cubs, 41" x 14" x 17".
Panther Resting, Life-Size
“Each year, the Florida panther population continues to shrink in size as more big cats are hit and killed by cars because they lack a safe habitat,” Buchanan said on Monday. “Although these panthers are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act, they face extinction because they have no protected area to live and repopulate.”
— U.S. Rep Vern Buchanan, R-Fla
Please enjoy this video of an orphaned two year old male Florida Panther being released into the wild!
Video by Animal Wire, Florida Panther Release
South Florida is home to an endangered subspecies of cougar, known as the Florida panther. This orphaned panther was rescued by the FWC and released back into the wild where an estimated 100-160 Florida Panthers remain.
Thank you for reading this Patina Journal, I hope you enjoyed learning about Florida panthers. Please click the button below to share with friends!
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