"Folklore dating to ancient Egypt has held that cats have nine lives and in modern times that mystique certainly seems true for the Florida panther. Sometimes it feels like everything in the world is trying to snuff out the panthers — everything human, that is.
The panthers, a mountain lion subspecies, nearly went extinct in the 1990s, when the population dwindled to 20. That would have been embarrassing for Florida, which — thanks to a 1981 vote by schoolchildren — had designated the panther as the official state animal.
The panther did make a remarkable comeback thanks to an unprecedented experiment by a desperate group of scientists and veterinarians. There are now about 200 prowling the semi-tropical South Florida wilderness, including in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Everglades National Park.
But it looks like the panther now will need more of those nine lives. Big developments are on the way, including a 10,000-home project square in panther habitat projected to generate enough vehicle traffic to wipe out the population."
Craig Pittman reports for National Parks Traveler March 23, 2026.
