Save our panthers
To the editor:
Today, I am focusing on our wonderful panther wildlife in Florida. There is a refuge inside our state, the United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southwest Florida, east of Naples located in the upper segment of the Fakahatchee strand of the Big Cypress Swamp. The area is north of I-75, located west of SR 29 ( 26,400 acres which opened in 1989.)
The governing body is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service. It was established to protect the Florida Panthers along with threatened plants and animal species. Now there are only 100 panthers in this huge area.
The public can only use this southeast corner of the refuge as hiking trails.
Some areas give limited tours.
The refuge has an 18-person staff that runs the center that treats 8,000 visitors a year to a great visit. As of this writing there are only 120-200 panthers left in the Refuge.
As a result, as good citizens of the USA and Florida,we cannot let this animal become extinct.
Save our panthers.
Be careful when you drive! Keep our few panthers safe.
Katheen Callard
North Fort Myers