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| a needless loss |
A Florida man deliberate shot and killed a critically endangered panther while deer hunting in Georgia. He pleaded guilty to the federal crime of taking a protected species in August. The maximum fine and penalty for the crime is imprisonment up to one year and/or a fine of up to $100,000. He knew he was killing a protected and critically endangered feline. It was not a question of mistaken identity, self-defense or accident. There is no open season in Georgia for cougar. His sentence: 2 years probation and a $2000 fine. With enforcement like this, there is little hope that endangered animals can be protected and reestablished. This hunter should have been given time out from his usual life to consider the impact of his
irresponsible action and hopefully to modify his behavior. The US Fish & Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission have worked to bring the Florida panther back from extinction
{"Florida Panther"}. The population has been slowing growing since its low point of 30 panthers in the late '80s. DNA testing showed the panther so senselessly killed in Georgia was an offspring of Florida panther FP137. Only education and strict enforcement of existing laws protecting endangered species will be effecting in halting their decline and eventual extinction. You can help by contributing to conservation organizations and for-profit companies that donate to
animal welfare programs such as
ORVIS outfitters.