Florida Panther: Not Dead Yet!

One of the most exciting recent developments in wildlife conservation is the "camera trap," a remote camera triggered by a motion sensor. That's how Michael Nichols got his remarkable shot of a rare Pacific Fisher in the current issue, and how we got a glimpse of the elusive Canadian lynx using a wildlife crossing over the Trans-Canada highway in Banff National Park.

Now, via Florida Panther's lively Facebook page, comes this killer image of one of the rare cats sharpening its claws in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is too small, the panther's habitat is distressingly fragmented (see Tristram Korten's "Panther At the Crossroads,"), and collisions with cars are depressingly common (remember the "Injured Florida Panther Kitten in Rehab"?), but it's glorious for once to see this animal as master of its element, carrying on despite the obstacles we put in its way. --Paul Rauber

Image: USFWS