A new design for the Protect the Panther License Plate in Florida will feature a stunning photograph taken by photographer Carlton Ward in 2018 with a famous female and her kitten.
“The adult female panther pictured on the plate is well known because she is the first female documented north of the Caloosahatchee River since 1973,” The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said in a statement.
As reported by Sebastian Daily in 2018, the FWC panther team released a panther family for the first time. They rescued, rehabilitated, and released the family group of panthers together into the wild.
She is also the first female documented to have had kittens north of the river in more than 40 years.
For the fresh look, FWC worked with photographer Carlton Ward and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida to design the new plate.
Once vetted by the Florida Highway Patrol, the plate should be available later this year for purchase by visiting the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or by visiting your local tax collector office.
The fees collected from the special license plate go directly into the Florida Panther Research and Management Trust Fund. The trust fund is the key source of funding for the state’s panther-related research, rescue, and conservation activities.
“Through the long-term public support of the trust fund, critical information gained from the FWC’s monitoring and research efforts continues to provide biologists and the public with timely, science-based information needed to guide current and future conservation actions,” FWC said.
Through effective research and management, the FWC and conservation partners have made significant progress toward the recovery of the endangered Florida panther.
Over the past three decades, the trust fund has paid almost entirely for all aspects of the FWC’s panther work and the program relies upon sales of the license plate to continue these conservation efforts.
Florida panthers are native to Florida and most are found south of Lake Okeechobee. Panthers are listed as an Endangered Species under the federal Endangered Species Act and it is illegal to harm or harass them in any way. There are approximately 120-230 adult panthers in the population.
In addition to purchasing a Protect the Panther License Plate, motorists can help by observing all posted speed limits, especially in panther zones, which are in place in several counties across south Florida and coincide with areas where panthers are known to cross. These panther speed zones help ensure the survival of the endangered Florida panther and protect motorists from personal injury.
To learn more about the Florida panther and the FWC’s efforts to conserve Florida’s state animal, visit MyFWC.com/Panther.
