Located within the heart of Florida's Big Cypress Basin, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge protects core habitat for the endangered Florida panther and all native wildlife who roam within the apex predator’s habitats.
Office Closure

The Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters Office is Temporarily Closed for Construction. No Public Access is allowed at Headquarters location. Please email floridapanther@fws.gov for more information.

Visit Us

Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge was established for the protection of the Florida Panther and its habitat.  While most of the Refuge is closed to public access, there are still several ways to enjoy the refuge. 

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      A critical piece of the wildlife corridor wildlife corridor
      To maintain healthy species populations and ecosystems, fish and wildlife need the freedom to move and migrate. As habitats and migration routes are affected by climate change and fragmented by roads, fences, energy development and other man-made barriers, wildlife struggle to reach necessary areas to feed, breed and find shelter. A wildlife corridor is a piece of undeveloped land connecting two habitats so wildlife can move safely between them.

      Learn more about wildlife corridor
      puzzle in Florida’s developed landscape, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge is due west of the Big Cypress National Preserve, due north of Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve and Picayune Strand State Forest, and due south of Immokalee, Florida among millions of acres of conserved public land in South Florida.   

      What We Do

      Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
      A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

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      is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species.

      Our Species

      Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge is much more than panthers! There is a variety of wildlife that call the refuge home.

      Our Library

      Visit our digital library to view refuge brochures and documents.

      Get Involved

      From its start in 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System has owed its very existence to concerned citizens eager to protect America's natural resources.