WFIT has been following the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition through the southern portion of the journey. Now the expedition is approaching Central Florida, and crossing through what crew member Carlton Ward Jr. calls, "An area of statewide and national concern."
Keeping the connection between South and North Florida is vital to the Florida panther, as these large carnivores need travel routes to find food and mates.
In this special segment, Carson Cooper of sister station WUSF talks with one expedition member about the invasive exotic that’s been causing native animal populations to plummet in South Florida.
Black bears and panthers are two of Florida’s imperiled wildlife species. Both are facing a daunting obstacle to their survival: habitat fragmentation caused by development like roadways, subdivisions and shopping malls. By isolating habitats, human expansion jeopardizes genetic diversity in wildlife populations. Disease and hereditary defects are often the result.
