Florida Panthers, Panther Glade daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Panther Glade, Jo-Ann Sanborn

Acrylic on board, 5"x7"

There are only about 120 Florida panthers left in the wild. They live in and around the Everglades in only 5% of their historic range. They are often killed by cars, but earlier this year, unfortunately, one of them was shot and killed. The panther was found in April on private property bordering the Big Cypress National Preserve in the Everglades, and believed to have been shot within a week prior to its discovery.

The Florida Panther is listed as an "endangered" species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the killing is being jointly investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) special agents and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).  So far no one has been charged with this crime. 

The beautiful big cat is a reclusive animal, and most Floridians will never see one in the wild.  I haven't, even though I've painted out their habitat for years. Learn more about Florida panthers you can attend the first annual Florida Panther Festival on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at North Collier Regional Park in Naples.

The Panther Festival is free, with the goal of promoting the safe coexistence of people, pets, livestock and panthers. To see a video and learn more, go to FloridaPantherNet.org.