Members of Defenders of Wildlife, an organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities, have set up an online petition with the purpose of saving the home of some of the world's last remaining Florida panthers.
According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, there are less than 100 Florida panthers left in the wild, many of which live at the Big Cypress Natural Preserve in the city of Ochopee in Southwest Florida.
However, the National Park Service is considering opening up a part of Big Cypress to off-road vehicles (ORV's), which would take away some of the Florida panther's already-insufficient territory and put undue stress on them and other endangered wildlife that already struggle for survival there.
According to Defenders of Wildlife, the area is indeed in the most sensitive habitat of the Bear Island Unit, an area in the northwest corner of Big Cypress frequented by the critically endangered Florida panther. By signing the petition, you would be telling the National Park Service that "the Big Cypress National Preserve and the Florida panthers and other endangered wildlife that live there need to be protected from damaging off-road vehicle use."
- You can sign the petition by clicking here. (Deadline is this Friday, June 15)
- You can also learn about other ways you can help the Florida panther by visiting the Defenders of Wildlife How You Can Help page.
- To learn more about the Florida panther, visit the Defenders of Wildlife Florida Panther Fact Sheet.
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