This story is troubling, specifically, in terms of the plight of the Florida panther and, more generally, with regard to suburban sprawl. I recently read a book titled Hunger for the Wild: America's Obsession With the Untamed West, that discussed westward expansion throughout US history, through present day. One of my favorite passages talks about how modern Americans develop new subdivisions and name them, missing the irony, after the very species they displaced to do so. How many foxes do you see roaming your nearby land tract, name Fox Run?
What is it about people that makes them move out to "be closer to nature" and then need a Walmart on the corner?
According to Defenders of Wildlife, 2009 was a very bad year for the Florida panther, Puma concolor coryi. Nearly 20 percent of the Florida panther population was killed by vehicles last year. Years ago, these magnificent cats roamed free in eight states. Today, less than 100 of the endangered panthers are believed to exist in the wild.
Read more at ecoworldly.com
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