FLORIDA — Here are nine facts about the awesome cats (Source: MyFWC):
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- Florida panthers are the larger of Florida's two native cat species: panthers and bobcats.
- There is no record of a Florida panther attacking a person.
- The Florida panther is a subspecies of puma, also known as a mountain lion or cougar, and it's the last subspecies surviving in the eastern United States.
- Florida panthers are reclusive and are primarily active at night.
- The Florida panther's decline occurred before 1950, when it still was legal to hunt them. They were listed as endangered in 1967 and are protected under federal and state laws.
- Florida panther numbers declined to roughly 30 cats by the early 1980s due to severe inbreeding resulting in many health and physical problems.
- A genetic restoration project in 1995 was successful in improving the health and vigor of the panther population.
- The Florida panther was chosen as the State Animal of Florida in 1982 by a vote of elementary school students throughout the state.
- Most panthers are found south of Lake Okeechobee, but they have been documented throughout the peninsula and into Georgia.
Watch FWC's panther cam below: