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ISLES OF CAPRI – Continuing a commitment to preserve Florida’s endangered
wildlife; the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Rookery Bay
National Estuarine Research Reserve is encouraging motorists to drive cautiously
to help protect area Florida panthers. By installing panther crossing signs and
implementing educational programs, the reserve is working to decrease the
mortality rate of Florida panthers in Collier County.
“The Florida panther is one of the most endangered mammals in the United
States,” said Randy McCormick, Assistant Reserve Manager at Rookery Bay. “By
increasing awareness and teaching residents to drive cautiously, we can help
protect this rare Florida species.”
Sightings and radio collar tracking data recorded over the past several years
by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) indicate an
increase in panther populations in the reserve’s lands near Naples. As these
panthers move toward the coast, they must cross busy roads, such as Collier
Boulevard, where panthers have been killed attempting to cross the dangerous
highways.
“We’ve tracked three radio collared panthers in Rookery Bay over the past two
years,” said Marc Criffield, Panther Biologist for FWC. “Two of these panthers
regularly crossed Collier Boulevard and the third gave birth recently to four
kittens about 200 meters from U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail) in Collier-Seminole State
Park. We hope the panther crossing signs will encourage motorists to drive
carefully and remain alert while traveling in these areas.”
As development encroaches into panther habitat, the animals are forced to
move around to find the space they need, such as the protected lands within the
reserve. Working together with FWC and the Florida Department of Transportation
(DOT), reserve staff has facilitated the installation of panther crossing signs
to alert motorists to use caution in the areas panthers are most frequently
found. Panthers are nocturnal, so it’s important for people to be more cautious
when driving at night.
“The warning sign symbol is a national symbol that was modified to be
representative to the Florida panther because these animals only exist in
Florida,” says Arlene Kern, DOT Highway Signing Program Manager. “We urge
drivers to pay attention and always be on the lookout for the panthers when they
see one of these signs.”
- Today approximately 100 adult Florida panthers remain in national and state
parks and nearby private lands in southwest Florida.
- In 2007, 15 panther
deaths were caused by collisions with vehicles making this the highest year of
panther road mortalities ever recorded.
- To date, in 2008, six panther deaths
were caused by collisions with vehicles.
- On average, a male panther needs a
home range of 200 square miles and a female panther needs a home range of 80
square miles.
To teach the public about Florida panthers, Rookery Bay is providing lectures
which include presentations by panther experts from FWC and other organizations
such as Big Cypress National Preserve. These educational events are held to give
attendees basic background on the panther, to explain the benefits of panther
crossing signs, and to talk about the history and the future of panthers in
Southwest Collier County.
Rookery Bay Reserve was established in 1978 as a partnership between the
State of Florida and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The
reserve is one of 27 research reserves operating across the nation. The
Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed
Areas (CAMA) manages Rookery Bay Reserve along with aquatic preserves, two other
National Estuarine Research Reserves and the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary. CAMA’s programs and activities are designed to help Floridians better
understand and conserve the state’s resources through research, education and
conservation.
For more information about the reserve, please visit
www.rookerybay.org.
To see a picture of the panther signs, please visit
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/events/images/release034.jpgg [JPEG - 2.75 MB]
To view a map that shows where the panthers in this area frequent, please
visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/events/panther_map.pdf [PDF -
396 KB] | 
2012 State of Florida