Endangered mammals:Red Wolf and Florida Cougar

Revitalization of Endangered Species

Red Wolf and Florida Cougar

Course Name

Student Name

School

Revitalization of Endangered Species : Red Wolf and Florida Cougar

Outline

I . Introduction

A . Florida Wetlands

B . Characteristics of Carnivora

C . Florida 's Endangered Species

1 . Red Wolf

2 . Florida Cougar

II . Brief History of Wildlife Preservation

A . Arrival of Early Europeans

1 . Predatory Animals Risk for Humans and Livestock

2 . Legislation to Kill Predatory Animals

B . 1950s Wildlife Preservation Begins

1 . Aldo Leopold

2 . Deer Experiments p

C . Predatory - Prey Relationship

1 . Necessity of Top Level Predatory Animals

2 . Absence of Predatory Animals Imbalance in Food Chain

III . Florida Cougar

A . Puma concolor coryi

1 . Charles Cory 1896

2 . Physical Characteristics

3 . Natural or Habitat

B . Reasons for Florida Cougar Reduced Population

1 . Pre 1950s Extermination

2 . Development of Land for Roads and Construction

C . Suitable Habitat for the Florida Cougar

1 . Prey - Hogs and White Tail Deer

2 . Space

a . 250 Square Feet per Male

b . 75 Square Feet per Female

IV . Red Wolf

A . Canis rufus

1 . Physical Characteristics

2 . Decline of Red Wolf Populations

B . Reintroduction

1 . Capitivity with only 20 wolves 1980

2 . 1987 Reintroduced into North Carolina

V . Future

A . Will the Florida Cougar Survive

1 . Problems With New Construction

2 . Cougar Deaths Due to Cars

3 . Deaths Due to Conflict with Other Predators

4 . Pollution

B . Possible Solutions

1 . Restoration of Everglades

2 . Apply Methodology of Red Wolf Project to Florida Cougar

VI . Perspectives

A . Political

1 "Pro " Reintroduction of Endangered Species

2 "Cons " of Reintroductions of Endangered Species

3 . Several Organizations Want Control

B . Legal

1 . Red Wolf Not Unique Species

2 . Proof that Florida Cougar is Unique Species

C . Social

1 . Effects of Reintroduction on People

2 . Wolf Urban Myth

D . Ecological Problems

1 . Can the Habitate Re-adjust to Top Predator

2 . Will Other Low Population Survive and Co-exist with Top Predator

VII . Conclusion

A . Red Wolf Program Good Example of How to Save a Species

1 . Cooperation of Several Organizations

2 . Funding

B . Hope For the Future

1 . Red Wolf Project Can Be Applied to Florida Cougar

2 . Revitalization of Flourid Cougar

Introduction

Florida is home to the most magnificent wildlife in the United States This is due in part because of the vast and lush wetlands which offer support for a number of Florida 's native and most well loved animals and foliage "Everglades " 2004 . Included in this organisms are large predators which are carnivorous mammals . These animals belong to the scientific specification Carnivora . The Carnivora is defined by several physical attributes but most exclusively large pointed teeth which allows for the ripping and eating of other animal flesh . Several animals of the Carnivora are omnivorous and dine on a diet of both plant and meat and include bear and coyotes . This will examine two of Florida 's native animals , the Red Wolf and the Florida Cougar , which are both endangered species . Today , in Florida 's and the world 's rapidly decreases natural environments the importance of protecting these endangered predators are clear . However , the it is only in recent decades that the scientific world and the general public has become educated about the need to maintain food chains and subsequently the environment through the protection of animals and their natural habitats (Bean , 2000 ,

. 255

Brief History of Wildlife Preservation

With the arrival of early Europeans on the savage lands of the unexplored United States came the English ideology that all animal predators must and should be destroyed . One of the first legislative endeavors of the new British colonies was to enact a wildlife bill which encouraged people to kill wolves . Wolves were not only a simple nuisance but true danger to the lives of colonialists . This same attitude was applied across the board to any animal that was considered a potential predators to human and livestock "Endangered Species 2004 . It was not until the the mid 1950s that the concept of wildlife preservation was introduced to American culture . Aldo Leopold , a biological conversationalist , did extensive research involving the population of deer in a predator-free environment and resulting starvation . He proved through his research predators of all kinds are needed for maintaining healthy ecosystems . Through his work and the studies of other conversationalists the public learned the necessity of top level predators to maintaining a balance environment . More importantly , their work displayed what could happen in an ecosystems that were predators free . Deer populations grew drastically and required more food than naturally occurred in the environment Eventually not only the deer starved but any animals which also depended on foliage to survive . Reducing the predator population single handedly would reduce biodiversity . Understanding the complexity of interspecies relationships between predators and prey has become the basis for much of the Endangered Act legislation in the past four decades Unfortunately , for the Red Wolf and the Florida Cougar it came too late

Florida Cougar

Puma concolor coryi is known by a number of common names including panther , puma , mountain lions , and most often and affectionately by Floridians , the Florida Cougar . These beautiful creatures were first studied by Charles Cory and they bare his name . In 1896 Cory , a renowned hunter and naturalist , was the first to include the cougar as part of the puma subspecies . The puma species can be found throughout the eastern hemisphere including North and South America . The Florida Cougar can be distinguished from others within the species by several pronounced physical differences . These differences include a smaller body size , and longer legs . Florida Cougar 's have much smaller feet then their puma peers and a lush dark fur coat . The Florida Cougar is actually the same "ferocious cat flashing its teeth on pro hockey T-shirts sold in sporting goods stores , or peering from one of the Sunshine State 's hottest-selling specialty license plates (Deneen 1994 . While the Florida Cougar is native to the Florida wetlands it has for year roamed much of the southern United States , mostly to the east . Southwest Florida remains the favorite breeding ground of the Florida Cougar . It is within the southwest bs of Florida that portions of public and private land has been set aside for the exclusive purpose of housing Florida Cougar populations . Allowing cougar families the ability to live and grow in safe and restricted area in hopes of increases the population size . In addition to the past extermination of the predatory Florida Cougar between the birth of United States and the 1950s , there another major problem that has lead to the decline in cougar numbers . In the examination of the past , researchers believe

The steep decline of the Florida panther population was initially brought on by widespread hunting . Next it was the cars driving down the highways cut through the swampland that killed the big cats . Today pollution in the ecosystem has moved up the food chain to endanger big cats and humans (LaDuke , 1999 ,

. 31

Large predatory animals and specifically cougars need a great deal of living space . At least 200 square miles is the amount of area needed for each individual cougar . Due to the development of land within the cougar 's nature habitat for housing and businesses , the cougar has very little land to call home . It is these low population numbers which place the Florida Cougar on the endangered species list . The loss of natural breeding environments especially due to road construction in Florida far out weighs any advances made by the conversation efforts The survival of the Florida Cougar is still unknown (Nickens , 2001

Suitable Habitat for the Florida Cougar

"Panthers are believed to be sensitive to human intrusion " states Sally Deneen of Earth Action and "has been attributed to the loss of habitat quality due to increasing hunting , off-road vehicles and other back-country use " the report said . In addition , hunting would scare off the hogs and deer that panthers eat (Deneen , 1994 . Prey and space are the two essential ingredients needed for a suitable habitat for the Florida Cougar . Cougars are extremely territorial and therefore a great deal of space is needed for each individual cougar . Cougars will defend their homes against other animals including other cougars which usually ends in the death of one of the animals . In addition to living space cougars need prey . They prefer to hunt white tailed deer and hogs Cougars are meat eaters and large undisturbed pieces of land are needed for hunting . Each male cougar needs approximately 250 square miles of living space . Each piece of male owned land will overlap with several female owned land . A female cougar needs much less space , 75 square miles , than a male . Cougars are also picky about the quality of habitat . They prefer and will seek out areas which are nestled within forests especially hardwoods and pine forests (2000 ,

. 312

Red Wolf

Canis rufus or the Red Wolf was Florida 's largest predator cat . The Red Wolf is much smaller in height and weight than the Gray Wolf . It has a gray black coat with a slight reddish tint which is how the Red Wolf received it 's name . Moderate in the world of canids , it is larger than the coyote it is often confused with . An adult Red Wolf weigh between 50 and 85 pounds and is an average of 5 feet long , from the nose to the end of the tail . In the early 1900s the Red Wolf roamed through the northeaster and southeastern portions of the United States including Florida "Wolf " 2004 . Similarly to the Florida Cougar , the Red Wolf was the victim of uninformed but 'necessary ' extermination . In the years between the settlement of the United States , and 1967 , the Red Wolf was systematically hunted , beaten to death , and trapped under the wildlife legislation that considered these animals as potential risks to farmers and their livestock . Additionally , By the mid-1960s habitat alteration and loss , as well as predator extermination campaigns effectively reduced the free-ranging red wolf population to a small remnant population in southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana (Kelly Phillips , 2000 ,

. 248 . By the late 1960s the Red Wolf was placed on the endangered species list (Kelly Phillips , 2000 ,

. 247 "Scientists found a small number of "pure " red wolves and started a captive breeding program to save the animals from extinction (Levin 2002 . In 1980 , the Red Wolves who still called Florida home were relocated in hopes of encouraging new Red Wolf families in a new protected habitat . The U .S . Fish and Wildlife Service was only able to find and move 20 Red Wolves

Reintroduction of the Red Wolf

Through seven years of captivity the Red Wolf was ability to breed and increase their population . In 1987 the Red Wolf was reintroduced to habitats scientists felt would make good living and breeding environments for the Red Wolf . This would be the first time a captive animal which had been extinct in the wild could be introduced into that wild . The Red Wolf was originally released into the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge . The refuge is located along the northeast bs of North Carolina . The Red Wolf readapted so well that additional wolves were released into the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and then onto land owned by private owners . Approximately 150 Red Wolves still live in captivity within 40 protected areas across the United States . This is in addition to 100 Red Wolves which currently live successfully in the wild (Kelly Phillips , 2000 ,

. 248

The Future

The Florida cougar is in the most danger of becoming existent . The than a hundred . Specifically reports cite that "There are roughly 60 adult Florida panthers remaining in the world , and one of these magnificent felines had been standing right here , sifting the air for scent , pondering its next move (Nickens , 2001 . Scientists have very little hope that the population will increase at all . As the human population of Florida increases so does construction of larger new roads . The development of cougar habitat for human use is cited as the major reason why no growth in the cougar population has been seen . Many of the known cougars have been fitted with radio collars allowing them to be tracked . It is estimated that half of the cougar deaths in Florida are associated with collisions from automobiles . The second causes of death , is the fighting of cougars other large predatory animals for land rights . Additionally , large cat species are prone to feline leukemia which is similar to the same cancer found in humans This disease is passed from feral house cats to the the larger cat populations . Another component working against the preservations of these cats is pollution . In mid-1989 , a Florida panther was found dead in the Everglades . Liver samples from the cat found 110 ppm of mercury indicating that mercury poisoning may have been the cause of death (LaDuke , 1999 ,

. 31 . Toxicity of both human environment and the natural habitats of all animals is an ongoing and imminent concern Unfortunately , the future of the Florida Cougar will depend exclusively :on the goodwill of the orange growers and ranchers in southwestern Florida . They are receiving government overtures of possible tax incentives or cash payments to continue using their lands in ways that allow the panther to exist on their property . The trouble is , of 756 square miles considered prime panther land in Florida , one-quarter has been permitted to grow oranges . And the panthers steer clear of orange groves due to the dearth of cover and food--such as hogs and deer--found there (Deneen , 1994

In the last two years , there have been a host of proposals to save the Florida panther and to restore the Florida Everglades . The Army Corps of Engineers itself submitted ten different proposals to Congress , which ranged from a plan calling for potential environmental changes (LaDuke 1999 ,

. 42 . Many conversationalist agree that the only way the Florida Cougar will survive is through the captivity of the species in governmentally protected areas . Scientists cite the success of the reintroduction of the Red Wolf to the wild as a great example of how the Florida Cougar can be not only preserved but allowed to thrive

Perspectives

The success of the reintroduction of the Red Wolf has drawn both praise and criticism . Both are used for support as to why the same preservation process should be used with the almost extinct Florida Cougar . Currently there is a great debate , politically , over the both the success and future use of the methodology used to save the Red Wolf The United States Fish and Wildlife Service was granted authority by the Endangered Species Preservation Act in the late 1960s and continues to be the sole and final say in any preservation actions taken However , there are several other environmental organizations that would like to be part of the decision making process . These organizations include federal and local governments , the Sierra Club , and local human rights groups like CROWN or citizens rights over wolves now . The United States Fish and Wildlife Service receives funds from a including the National Park Service and local departments of Natural Resources . Previous to 1994 a great deal of financial support was being alloted to the preservation of endangered species within the United States . The republican majority elected in 1994 cut several environmental protection programs (Bean , 2000 ,

. 550

The Red Wolf reintroduction program was nearly cut in 1995 but managed not too . Today , very little support is given to the these types of programs . This offers little hope there will be money available for the Florida Cougar reintroduction program . Additionally , citizens of local governments have worked hard to pass resolutions which would allow the killing or live removal of Red Wolves from private land . These local governments flank the Pocosian National Wildlife Refuge which the Red Wolf has now claim as it 's home . These lawsuits are based on pseudo danger private landowners perceive from the Red Wolves on human lives and livestock (Deneen , 1994 . A more vocal anti-wolf group called CROWN has made it their mission to make sure that projects like the Red Wolf introduction do not continue (Kelly Phillips , 2000 ,

. 334 . They seem the re-establishment of predatory animals a financial risk to their farms

Legally there are concerns from groups that the Red Wolf and similar predatory species are not actually a unique species . Several years ago two researchers from California through the use of DNA analysis determined that the Red Wolf was not a distinct species separate from the coyote or the gray wolf . The United States Fish and Wildlife Service mandates that only unique plants and animals can be preserved and protected by their organization and considered endangered . Critics are quick to comment that it will be necessary , in future projects , that the genetic makeup of any endangered species be determined before any money is spent . This is a problematic for the Florida Cougar because it part of the large Puma which includes a wide variety of predatory cats

The long term effects on the people in the areas in which endangered species , like the Red Wolf , are reintroduced are unknown . When surveyed the citizens had mixed reactions . While some were satisfied with the preservation of an endangered species other were fearful of that danger that predatory animals bring to the community . Many of them believed that a wolf would pursue and attack a child if hungry enough . It is unknown how communities will feel about the presence of the Florida Cougar if it is also bred in captivity and released to the wild (LaDuke 1999 ,

. 101

An additional component of the Red Wolf preservation program was how the environment and more specifically how the prey within that environment would adjust to adding a top level predatory . Especially in most habitats where predators have no co-existed with other animals for long periods of time . Animals that are not near extinction but have decreased populations due to the actions of humans . This animals include the white tailed deer , bald eagle , and the wild turkey (2000 ,

br 409 . Just with the Red Wolf the reintroduction of the Florida Panther to protected but wild areas would required a long adjustment period to become re-adapted into the habitat Conclusion

The success of the Red Wolf program does offer hope to the Florida Panther . In many ways the Red Wolf preservation is a great example how to revive a species and allow that species to once again roam wild within it 's natural habitat . Preservation projects , like the above , are one of the very few options endangered species have in maintaining their populations . Recovery efforts take a great deal of funding , time , and most importantly cooperation of several organizations , the local and federal governments , and everyday citizens . It is only through this cooperation that endangered species , like the Red Wolf and the Florida Panther , can survive and thrive in today 's society

Revitalization of Endangered Species PAGE 12 ...