Florida Panther

The Florida panther needs space. Restricted to southwestern Florida, breeding pairs of these highly endangered big cats need 200 square miles to roam and hunt. However, the panthers have lost much of their historic habitat, and their current range is now squeezed into protected areas such as Big Cypress National Preserve, Fakahatchee Strand State Park, and Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, as well as private cattle ranches, vegetable farms, and citrus groves. Much of this remaining habitat could be flooded and damaged due to sea level rise. Not only is the panther running out of space, but further flooding would also devastate the white-tailed deer population, a main source of food for this rare cat.

Scientific name: Puma concolor coryi
IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
Endangered Species Act List: Endangered
Region: Southeast