Bikers Get into the Spirit of Panther Conservation

As the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear, it’s nice to step back for a moment and think about the ways we can give back while making a change in our communities (and beyond), such as boycotting fur at Nordstrom, thanking activists and organizations for their work, and supporting the efforts of Salvation Army bell-ringers.

But when you think of charitable giving, how often does a group of Harley-riding bikers come to mind? For the Bad to the Bone Brotherhood of Bikers in Florida, fundraising efforts this Thanksgiving season supported Florida panther conservation.

“We just really believe in this group’s cause and want to help make a big difference in their efforts to educate others and help protect Florida panthers,” member biker Terry Garland told reporters. For a small registration fee, the bikers travelled a 108-mile route through panther habitat. The event raised money for Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge, a non-profit organization advocating for the Florida Panther Rescue through lobbying and education.

Only an estimated 100 panthers roam Florida, found in the southernmost tip of the state. The historic range for panthers in southeastern U.S. spanned from Louisiana and Arkansas over to parts of Tennessee and South Carolina and south to Florida.

In addition to human-caused mortality from habitat loss and collision with vehicles, panthers are vulnerable to mercury poisoning and diseases including feline leukemia.

After over a year and a half of urging from a wide number of conservation organizations, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Kenneth Salazar still has not designated critical habitat for the imperiled Florida panther. The population of Florida is expected to double to 36 million in the next half-century, which opens the door for approximately 7 million acres of natural land to be developed into urban settings.

Secretary Salazar’s lack of action stands in opposition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Florida Panther Recovery Plan, which calls for designation of critical habitat: “The panther depends upon habitat of sufficient quantity, quality, and spatial configuration for long-term persistence, therefore the plan is built upon habitat conservation and reducing habitat-related threats.”

Florida panthers have been listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1967. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission posed the thought: “What does the future hold for Florida's fish and wildlife? That's up to all of us.” I couldn’t have said it any better.

In this time of thanksgiving, we should be grateful that Florida panthers have managed to survive this long. Let’s give them the gift of habitat and ask Secretary Salazar to finally designate critical Florida panther habitat.

Photo Credit: Connie Bransilver for USFWS/Southeast