"Endangered Florida panthers are being crowded out of their habitat in Florida. Some suggest bringing the panthers to the Ozarks, where they once lived. But Arkansas wildlife officials aren't crazy about the idea, saying the panthers would be a threat.” Arkansas Isn't Wild About Panther Proposal, All Things Considered, March 21, 2006, Story, by Jacqueline FroelichThe U.S. Fish & Wildlife folks believe that without public support the reintroduction would not be successful. Unfortunately, they define “public support” as approval from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. They will object, confusing the Florida Panther with the Western mountain lion. Florida Panthers are shy, smaller, look different, and do not attack humans. They keep the deer population healthy and keep feral hogs in check. See, Only about 80 Florida Panthers Remain in the Wild; and Help Save the Florida Panther Arkansas Farm Bureau is opposed to being good stewards of the environment as usual. See, Feeding the Rat - Congress and Lobbyists and Nice Try Erik. This is a native species that we killed off. Please help save them. Game & Fish will meet in May to discuss it. Please contact them individually at keoff@futura.net, esn@jlj.com, svarnell@alltel.net, Freddie.black@simmonsfirst.com,
HRCHCasey@aol.com, johnbenjamin@alltel.net, gdunklin@dunklingrain.com, kgsmith@uark.edu, and information@agfc.state.ar.us.
Response from Chairman Mike Freeze:
From: "keoff"
Subject: Re: Florida Panther Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 11:42:27 -0600
Dear Mr. Snoddy:
The panthers in Florida have already been intentionally contaminated
with "western" panther genes due to animals stocked by the USFWS so
some believe that a distinct sub-species no longer exists. These same
animals have also been contaminated with genes from South American
cats. We already have a few "western" panthers in Arkansas so why stock more of the same sub-species?
Finally, panthers have attacked humans and livestock in California and
other western states and I would hate to be the one that had to explain to a
grieving parent why we stocked the panther that killed his or her child.
Finally, if we allow the stocking of "Florida panthers" that are protected
by the Endangered Species Act then the state would be relinquishing our
ability to mange these animals to the USFWS and I am concerned that a
debacle would ensue much like what has occurred with the reintroduction of
the Canadian timber wolf in the western states. These are just my thoughts
on this subject.
Sincerely,
Chairman Mike Freeze
From: "Virgil Snoddy"
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:15 AM Subject: Florida Panther
Florida panthers are shy creatures that we have exterminated. They
have never attacked humans. Do you have information to the
contrary? I just don't understand AG&F's position.
Is the Chairman confusing Florida Panthers the also rare Bengal tiger?
6 comments:
ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH COMMISSION
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Florida Panther Draft Recovery Plan Position Statement
In January 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released the Draft Recovery Plan on the Florida Panther. The plan mentions a few possible relocation sites including several general locations in Arkansas. The FWS would have to do additional detailed study to select the exact sites. This is a time consuming lengthy process, which benefits us because Arkansas is not ready for a panther reintroduction. It is a decades long process that needs to be thought through very carefully. However, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is committed to working through this process with the FWS.
Mountain lions were historically present throughout Arkansas until their apparent eradication, which occurred by about 1920. Since that time, efforts have been made to determine the existence of this animal. There is no verifiable evidence that there is a wild, viable reproducing population of the original mountain lion that inhabited Arkansas as settlers came from the east. There may have been releases of captive mountain lions in the state, most probably acquired from western states. The AGFC believes there may be mountain lions in the wild in Arkansas, but they are probably a result of the captive releases and not descendants of the original mountain lions that lived here. Therefore, it is the position of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission that native Arkansas mountain lions have been eradicated from the state and any mountain lion in the wild in Arkansas is not an endangered Florida panther unless proved otherwise.
I've kilt manya cat and I can tell you there's no comparin the cougar with the Eastern (Florida) panther. Where do you think the term pussy cat came from? They’ll run from ye like a bunch of Pawnees.
I think we should try to appeal directly to the female members of the Commission. It may sound sexist, but women often have more respect for life and tolerance for diversity than men.
Yes, I have to agree with the^^^^^ above wise, wise man; unless these females are a bunch of "man-eaters"....and then it just depends on what "mood" the female is in....and so on and so on.....
I won’t go into the apparent ignorance, arrogance, and intellectual dishonesty of Chairman Mike Freeze’s comment if taken at face value. I’m hoping that is his way of drawing more attention to the plight of the panther and exposing the hypocrisy of the Commission’s propaganda statement, with which his statement is inconsistant.
Great idea, Germaine; not if there were just some females on the commission..
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