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Hi John,
Last week the remains of two young, female panthers were found in Florida's Collier and Lee counties — both killed by cars.
This year alone nine panthers have died from vehicle strikes.
Once these beautiful cats were found throughout the Southeast, but now they survive only in Florida, where fewer than 230 adult panthers are left.
We must do all we can to save them and other endangered species.
Please help our fight for wildlife with a gift to the Saving Life on Earth Fund. Thanks to a generous supporter, your gift today will be matched.
Year after year, vehicle strikes are the leading cause of death for Florida panthers. These powerful, graceful cats eke out a living in only 5% of their former range.
And it could get worse. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a permit for a project adding 45,000 additional acres of residential sprawl in prime panther habitat.
The area for this project is bordered on all sides by a wildlife refuge and preserve, a swamp sanctuary, an ecosystem watershed and a state forest.
It would increase traffic on Collier County's highways — and likely bring even more panther deaths from vehicle collisions. It must be stopped.
Big cats are losing their habitat from coast to coast. What's happening to panthers in Florida is similar to what we're seeing with California's mountain lions. Penned in by highways, victims of endless sprawl, these cats are dying before our eyes.
The science is clear: Wildlife corridors and habitat protection are needed to help panthers, mountain lions and all wide-ranging creatures survive in a crowded and fast-moving world.
Our team of scientists, lawyers and activists is working every day to save big cats and other endangered species.
We've been fighting to stop extinction for three decades, and we need you with us more than ever.
Please make a matched gift to the Saving Life on Earth Fund so we can protect panthers and other species at risk.
For the wild,
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