‘Path of the Panther’ chronicles species’ fight for survival
How much longer can Florida panthers continue to exist in the wild?
This is the question at the heart of “Path of the Panther,” which will have its world premiere next month as part of the Florida Film Festival at Enzian. This documentary film was produced with support from the National Geographic Society and is described as “an epic tale of nature and humanity at a crossroads,” where advocates for the Florida panther struggle to ensure this species’ survival against rising threats, most notably from massive habitat loss and fragmentation.
The Florida panther is the last big cat surviving in the eastern United States and though it was successfully brought back from the edge of extinction in the 1970s (when its numbers shrank to just 20 in the wild), fears are growing that without immediate action, this Floridian icon could once again find itself on the brink.
Conservation photographer Carlton Ward Jr. worked with
director Eric Bendick to shine a light on how development specifically in the Florida Wildlife Corridor is severing important habitat connections, which are vital for ensuring this species has the range needed for long-term
survival.
“These animals are like ghosts,” says Ward, who is an eighth generation Floridian and founded the Florida Wildlife Corridor project in 2010. This latest film is part of Ward’s efforts to raise
awareness around lost and fragmented habitats for Florida panthers in this state. Where this species used to have a multistate range that extended into Tennessee and South Carolina, Florida panthers are now only found in a tiny slice of South Florida that is getting smaller by the day.
Florida Film Festival programming director Matthew Curtis said the documentary was a natural fit for this year’s event, which is spotlighting environmental issues.
“It’s just an incredible film,” Curtis said. “The footage is stunning of the wildlife corridor, and seeing the Florida panther… it feels like you could touch it through the screen.”
If you go
The world premiere of “Path of the Panther” will take place at 6:45 p.m. on April 9 at Enzian. An encore will be screened at 5:15 p.m. on April 16 at the Regal Winter Park Village. More information about this film and the larger Florida Film Festival is available at the official Enzian website, floridafilmfestival.com. Tickets are now available.
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