of the community's concern for the panther. Floridians are also looking into building a panther safe tunnel going under busy throughways for the animal to make safe crossings. They are confident the panther will choose the tunnel over the road out of natural fear. "The Florida Panther Interagency Committee has developed a recovery plan for panthers that includes creating a breeding colony in zoos and facilities….” Places such as White Oak Plantation in Northeastern Florida, which is a private breeding center for rare animals is just a small part of the community helping to try and bring the panthers population into a stable level. Scientists are now using techniques for collecting, freezing, and storing panthers’ semen and then artificially inseminating the females to keep the population of panthers increasing.To help with these efforts the Florida Game Commission has supervised more than one hundred cat captures. Since the project began, the biologists have monitored a total of forty-five animals to create a detailed record of the cats lives and family trees. “The task would be easier if the panther had chosen a more remote area to make its last stand. It survives in the wet back country of the South Florida interior because much of the area was nearly inaccessible until recent times." Scientists rely on evidence such as scats (droppings), scrapes (small mounds of dirt marked by deposits of droppings and urine), and tracks rather than actual sightings. Through surveillance from the ground and air, scientists have been keeping close tabs on all of the twenty-one panthers currently wearing collars…. "The only adult female living in Everglades National Park mated with her own son last year because no other males had been around for years."Some of the panther’s main habitats are hardwood hammocks, pinelands, cypress swamps, hardwood swamps, and freshwater marshes. Hardwood hammocks are someti...
