The goddess Athena is best known to be the patron of heroic endeavor in Greek mythology. This Athena symbolizes that sentiment exuberantly. Six months ago, in the vast 720,000-acre Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida, a tiny three week old Florida panther kitten mewed desperately for her mother. But her mother was gone, having...
Video and photo credit: Janet Molchan Monday, April 10 is Gopher Tortoise Day in Florida. State and local wildlife conservation programs note this day with awareness activities relating to the Threatened species’ and its habitat. Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is considered a keystone species because its burrows provide shelter for more than 350 other species living in their habitat....
Sassy’s Story A young female Florida panther (puma concolor coryi) was rescued from an eastern Collier county, Florida park in mid-December 2015. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) panther biologists think her mother, who was given the official name UCFP251 after she was found dead, was approximately three years old. She was killed by...
World Lion Day celebrates all sub-species of lion, raises worldwide awareness of conservation programs, and brings attention to the threats they face everywhere. Much of the attention is on the African lion, but today we also want to celebrate and appreciate India’s Asiatic lions, and those working to protect them and their habitat. Asiatic lions, (Panthera...
Video: Diane Randolph –Video Photographs: Janet Molchan and Ron Magill A rescued 30-month-old Florida panther is an ambassador for her species and its disappearing natural habitat. Stunning. Beguiling. Kittenish. Endangered. All of these words describe a young orphaned, rescued, non-releasable female Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) whose story is that of every Florida panther today. Tragic Beginning Born somewhere in southwest Florida,...
A single animal bagged by a trophy hunter can quite easily cause the destruction of the entire family unit that may depend on it for nurturing, protection, or other assistance to survive in the wild. Numerous articles, debates and meetings have discussed the status of conservation of African wildlife and trophy hunting. Vigorous supporters of animal trophy hunts are...
While the world mourns and avenges the death of Zimbabwe’s beloved Cecil the lion, one man is on the ground in Botswana protecting lions from the angry guns of local farmers and ranchers. Marnus Roodbol is the founder of Walking for Lions (WFL), an organization that works with locals in Botswana to literally light up...
Wildlife heroes come in different genders and from different countries. They can be your next-door neighbor who rescues an injured duck on the side of the road. They can be the person who takes on a great personal and financial challenge to rescue an animal in a faraway country. This is the story of wildlife...
It is estimated that there are approximately 35,000 wild lions in Africa. This is a large decline in the total population since last estimates in 1980 of about 76,000. The decline is largely due to habitat loss, loss of prey base, and increased human-lion contact. (Related post: Lion Numbers Plunge as African Wilderness Succumbs to...