Only about 80 Florida Panthers Remain in the Wild

"The solution: move some of Florida's official state animal to other states - wilderness areas in Georgia and Arkansas are the leading possibilities - in hopes of building thriving colonies there.
Arkansas officials, however, have said no thanks, . . ." Fla. development pushes out panthers. St. Petersburg Times See, Help Save The Florida Panther.
"The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering as possible relocation sites for the Florida panther, according to the latest draft of a recovery plan released January 31.. . . Range expansion and reintroduction of additional populations are . . essential for panther recovery. . . . fostering greater public understanding and support is necessary to achieve panther conservation and recovery. The draft recovery plan notes, 'Political and social issues will be the most difficult aspect of panther reintroduction and must be resolved before further restoration efforts are initiated.' . . . A lack of public support and tolerance could prevent the reintroduction of panthers anywhere outside of Florida. Public opinion is the most critical impediment to reintroduction efforts and attainment of recovery goals. . . .'
Education and outreach efforts will be evaluated, especially to assess human attitude and behavior changes toward panthers. More importantly, this evaluation will help improve education and outreach," the draft report says. The Ashley County Ledger
Copies of the Technical/Agency Draft of the Third Revision of the Florida Panther Recovery Plan can be obtained at http://endangered.fws.gov or http://verobeach.fws.gov.
Comments on the draft plan must be submitted by April 3. Comments may be submitted by:
1. Submit written comments and materials to the Field Supervisor, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Florida Ecological Services Office, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, Florida 32960. 2. Fax written comments to (772) 562–4288 or hand-deliver to the South Florida Ecological Services Office, at the above address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Belden at the South Florida Ecological Services Office, (772) 562–3909, ext. 237.