Florida Panthers capture sports world’s attention, but namesake big cats remain imperiled

HENDRY COUNTY, Fla. – The image of a fierce Florida panther is emblazoned on the uniforms of a sports team that’s capturing the attention of the world.

But the real Florida panther is one of just two native cats in the entire state. Once roaming the entire Southeast, they are now mostly spotted south of the Caloosahatchee River and into the western Everglades.

So Local 10 News reporter Janine Stanwood went into the heart of Hendry County, where the majestic and endangered creature seems to be making more frequent appearances.

“This land — I don’t know per capita — but just from sightings, we seem to have more panthers than just about anybody else,” Ben Olsen, whose family have owned more than 500 acres in the area for four generations, said.

So, they started installing cameras.

The Olsen’s put a low-angle camera on a fence at the end of March, and what they’ve seen since has been incredible.

“In the last 50 days, we’ve captured five separate panthers,” Olsen said.

“Knowing that they’re on your land—you think what?” Stanwood asked.

“That we need to protect them at all costs,” Olsen said.

But Olsen is worried about a project in the planning phase called the Western Everglades Restoration Project that would make alterations to canals and levees to improve water quality and drainage.

“I found the 1939 surveys,” he said.

Olsen, who knows the area well, fears that this would flood his land and the panthers’ home.

“This culvert would get 18 inches of extra water based on what the modeling shows,” he said. “That would flood over right where all those panthers were walking right here.”

South Florida Water Management District officials say otherwise.

This is a mosaic of habitats. Areas that are wetlands will stay wetter longer, but areas that are uplands, which is the primary habitat for panthers, will not be converted into wetlands in the project,” Jennifer Reynolds, SWFMD’s director for ecosystem recreation, told Local 10 News.

Olsen is skeptical. State officials say the panther will be protected, and it’s required.

“The habitat for panthers is really important to us, too,” Reynolds said.

And through it all, everyone seems to agree that the love of the sports team that bears the big cat’s name will only help give it more attention.

“I love the Florida Panthers. I used to go all the time as a kid,” Olsen said. “Hopefully, we can see these beautiful creatures and protect them to every ability that we have.”

A portion of the proceeds from Friday night’s Stanley Cup Final watch party at Amerant Bank Arena will go to the Florida Panthers Foundation.

One of the initiatives the organization funds is research and conservation for these incredible animals.