Gov. Crist honors the Florida panther

I would like to see a Florida panther one day.

Haven't had the luck yet, and believe me, I've been looking, but Gov. Charlie Crist maybe has made it a little more possible.

Gov. Crist proclaimed March 21 Save the Florida Panther Day.

That alone will not help save the Florida Panther, but the awareness that may trickle down to Florida residents is one element we need to protect this elegant cat.

According to an FWC press release, in the proclamation, Crist said, "It is proper and fitting for all Floridians to pause and reflect on the plight of the Florida panther and the task of preserving this rare component of Florida's diverse natural resources as a legacy to generations of Floridians yet to come."

The release added that the proclamation also said preservation of the Florida panther, which also is the state's official animal, " . . . is the will of the people and therefore a mission of their government..."

The release also said that the FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials say the panthers' numbers have risen slightly in the last two decades.

I'm not sure there's a more regal and mysterious animal in Florida, and with over-developed lands cluttering our outdoors paradise, its population number are always threatened.

Someday, I hope to find out just what a wild panther looks like.

To view the governor's proclamation or to learn more about Florida panthers, visit www.MyFWC.com/panther.