As cities continue to expand, Florida panther and bear sighting photos are helping state biologists better understand these predators’ changing habitats, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported this week.
Two years ago, the agency started asking the public to submit panther sighting locations and photos, said Darrell Land, FWC panther team leader. And as of last year, it began asking for bear sighting information, too.
“With the explosion of cameras and trail cameras, there are a lot of opportunities for the public to help panther work simply by sharing their pictures,” Land said.
For instance, Land said finding a female panther north of the Caloosahatchee River would be significant because it could mean the endangered population is increasing.
There are only 100 to 180 panthers in Florida with most sightings in the south.
About 1,500 panther sightings were reported as of June, and 275 of those sightings included photos. Land said some people have mistaken house cats for panthers, so photos make the sightings more credible.
There have also been about 2,200 Black bear sightings and almost a quarter of those reports contained photos.
These predators are harder to track in rural areas, said Brian Scheick, FWC bear research biologist, which is why the agency reaches out to outdoor enthusiasts.
“It will be useful to know if bears are becoming more common in rural areas,” Scheick said. “We might have to do things like put in bear-proof garbage cans.”
[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 8/27/2014 under the headline "Sighted: Florida panthers, bears"]
