This week, we have the Florida Panther going up against the Black Bear in a battle of the brawn in one of the most anticipated battles of the year. The Florida Panther will be a worthy contender even though their elusive nature and their endangered status makes them hard to spot in the Everglades region. A subspecies of the cougar, the Florida Panther typically lives the forests and swamps of southern Florida, not unlike the type of swamps we take our Orlando airboat tours.
Gallant Panther, The Florida Advancer, the Florida Panther fighting for his place in the ring this week, weighs up to 160 pounds, and seeing as he is Florida’s state animal, he will have the crowd on his side. While you won’t hear Gallant Panther roar (as Florida Panthers do not have the ability to roar), you will hear the many other sounds he has the ability to make such as whistles, chirps, growls, hisses and purrs. In addition to his variety of sounds, his other defense mechanism happens to be his ability to climb.
The Florida Panther is known for being flexible in many different aspects of their lives, one particular aspect being their ability to adapt a hunting routine to their prey and their environment. There are several threats to the Florida Panther’s existence, given its endangered nature, and those include:
- Disease
- Chemicals
- Genetic Depletion
- Vehicular Collisions
The one thing you will not find as a threat to the Florida Panther is the Black Bear. So, what’s Gallant Panther’s message to Goldilocks’ Worst Nightmare: “You Are Going Down.” Tune in on Friday to the blog at Wild Florida for a recap of the fight of Gallant Panther and Goldilocks’ Worse Nightmare to see who won. In the meantime, browse around on the website and purchase tickets to our one-of-a-kind Orlando airboat tours!
