New FWC panther license plate available

A new Protect the Panther license plate is now available to Florida motorists.

The new design features a striking photograph taken by Carlton Ward in 2018 of the first female panther documented north of the Caloosahatchee River since 1973, along with her kitten.

The new license plate can be purchased at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or by checking with your local tax collector office for availability.

Staff with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) worked with Ward and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida to design the new plate.

The new “Protect the Panther” license plate is a stunner, featuring a photo by @CarltonWard of the now-famous first female panther documented north of the Caloosahatchee River since 1973, along with her kitten. pic.twitter.com/wD94oV089n — MyFWC (@MyFWC) December 14, 2023

FWC said the photo depicts a well-known panther, an adult female who was also the first female documented to have had kittens north of the river in over 40 years.

Fees from the Protect the Panther license plate go directly into the Florida Panther Research and Management Trust Fund, which is a critical source of funding for the state’s panther-related research, monitoring and conservation efforts.

There are approximately 120-230 adult panthers in the population.

FWC said purchasing a Protect the Panther license plate isn’t the only way motorists can help panthers. Drivers can also help by following all posted speed limits, particularly in panther zones, which are in place in several counties across South Florida to coincide with areas where panthers are known to cross.

Panther speed zones help protect both Florida panthers and motorists from vehicle collisions and potential injury and even death, as all panthers found dead by the FWC this year have been killed by vehicles.