I don’t know about you, but when I hear about species extinctions or endangerment, I get pretty sick to my stomach. I’ve heard plenty of people wave these very real, very permanent losses off as a work of nature, of natural selection; after all, extinction has been happening since the dawn of time, right?

In a word, yes, but that’s not a complete answer; we know that the number of species becoming extinct today are largely due to the actions of humans. The main causes of endangerment and extinction are the introduction of nonnative species, disease, pollution, loss of habitat, and overhunting. Most of these are directly caused by humans, and those that are not are still somewhat due to human involvement.

Mammals in particular are on the decline. 2009 was a record year for losses of great cats, most notably the panther. The panther is one of the most endangered animals on Earth. Even with this status, people fail to respect the majestic animal.

In fact, a Florida panther was recently butchered by humans when it was struck by their car. It was found beheaded, an act that occurred after the vehicular incident. Such disregard for a powerful, beautiful creature is revolting and reflects the hideous nature of some humans to kill and destroy life. If North America’s most endangered animals are treated with such gruesome disrespect, how can we expect these species to remain with us for much longer?

Another panther was recently found murdered in Lee County, Florida—the first confirmed case in 2010. It was a two and a half year old male panther. I simply cannot wrap my head around this desire people seem to have for slaying these amazing cats. I get that you might be afraid of them—they are incredible wild animals who do prey on meat.

That said, they are Florida’s state animal, and only have 80 to 100 of their kind left in the wild. Given protection since the 1950s, their numbers have still steadily declined, largely due to human actions—mostly development within the cat’s habitat as well as violent acts, like those listed above.

Defenders of Wildlife is asking for tax deductible donations to help catch illegal panther killers and protect these creatures. If you can give, please do so—but just as importantly, please spread the word about these creatures and their declining numbers. Awareness about the importance of protecting these big cats and their habitat is in dire need, not just in Florida but across the country as well.