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About the Film

Drawn in by the haunting specter of the Florida panther, a wildlife photographer, veterinarians, ranchers, conservationists, and indigenous people find themselves on the front lines of an accelerating battle between forces of renewal and destruction that have pushed the Everglades to the brink of ecological collapse.

In a struggle resonating across the globe, the panther’s habitat has become an island. Its lush territory transformed into subdivisions. A paradise vanishing into thin air.

Perched on the edge of extinction, the panther is an emblem of our once connected world. A vision of what could be again. Or else, a harbinger, of what could befall our planet, if the ‘Path of the Panther’ becomes a dead end.

Film Production

Wildpath

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The Importance of Path of the Panther

Legislative Influence

The "Path of the Panther" project was a primary inspiration for the passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation serves as a global blueprint for addressing habitat fragmentation.

Extensive Field Research

The film is the result of more than five years of dedicated field research by National Geographic Explorer Carlton Ward Jr. and a coalition of conservationists.

The Plight of the Florida Panther

Once ranging across the entire Southeast, wild panthers are now mostly confined to a small region along the Gulf of Mexico. The film highlights the threat of habitat loss due to proposed toll highways through undeveloped areas.

Ecological Balance & Recovery

Featuring a historical milestone: the first female panther documented north of the Caloosahatchee River in several decades, signaling a potential expansion of their territory.The panther is presented as a "spark" for saving the entire Florida Wildlife Corridor, showing that it is not too late to bring the ecosystem back into balance.