Florida Panthers
- Geoffrey C. Smith
- May 5
- 2 min read
Dear Friends,
As a 9-year-old following in my father's footsteps, we were stalking through the woods. It was a cold fall day, and we were in the mountains of Northern California hunting deer. I don't recall what made me glance at the tree, but all of a sudden, I was looking into the face of a huge male mountain lion who was looking back at me! I remember it as if it were yesterday. I watched him fly as if he were spring-loaded. He jumped away from where we were walking and was immediately gone from sight, like a ghost, leaving my heart beating out of my chest. I will never forget my shock at how such a large animal was able to hide so completely and remove itself so quickly into thin air. Over 50 years later, this moment is still fresh in my mind.
Living in Florida, we have a similar large feline — The Florida Panther. Over the past few years, I have been sculpting many of these magnificent large cats. If you have stopped into the studio, you may have watched me working on some pieces or seen photos from past newsletters. You can check out the images in this blog to see more of my work to honor these beautiful cats.
Unfortunately, the Florida Panther has been on the brink of extinction for over 50 years, and in the late 1980's, there were only 30 known panthers left in Florida. Thanks to four decades of research from biologists, including Dr. Dave Onorato, and panther biologists (Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute & Conservation Commission), panthers are back on the path to recovery and population expansion. If you want to learn more about Panthers and how you can help, click on any of the underlined links.
The Florida Panther is one of Florida’s most unique endangered species. They have been on the endangered list since 1973. There are approximately 200 left in the wild, living mostly in the southern tip of Florida in Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.
Did you know the Florida Panther does not roar to communicate like other large cats, but rather hiss, purr, yowl, growl, or snarl? They are a subspecies of mountain lions, so they are smaller in size but still can get up to about 6-8 feet long. They are usually tan in color with black on the backs of their ears and at the tip of their long tails.
They have a remarkable ability to camouflage in their habitat. While I haven't seen one here yet, I can imagine how breathtaking it would be to encounter one in the shadowy swamp! I have been privileged to see them in human care at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and White Oak Conservation. I encourage you to go see them for yourself and support the work of these fine organizations.
Be wild, be safe, and be loved.
~ Geoffrey
Panther Maquette Collection
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