The Florida panther remains one of the rarest apex predators in North America, surviving almost entirely within the natural systems of Southwest Florida. Naples and Collier County sit inside the last stronghold of this species, where protected corridors connect Big Cypress National Preserve, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve, Picayune Strand State Forest, and Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. These landscapes create a continuous network of wetlands, flatwoods, cypress strands, and hardwood hammocks that allo