美國漁業暨野生物管理局(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)14日公布了新版人豹互動準則。該局表示，佛羅里達州美洲豹的數量在過去25年間成長了4倍，目前當地約有80至100隻的美洲豹。
佛羅里達美洲豹，學名Puma concolor coryi，為美國最稀有的大型哺乳動物之一，聯邦「瀕危物種法」(Endangered Species Act)與佛州法律皆將其列為瀕臨絕種的動物。
過去美洲豹曾生活在德州東部、或路易斯安納州西部，以及密西西比河下游河谷，向東延伸至美國東南涵蓋佛州全境。
25年前豹群的數量減少至30隻，但透過幾項的復育行動，尤其自1995年起美洲豹開始繁衍子代，使得族群成長至今日約80-100隻的數量。
同一時期佛州的人口數量增加了2.6倍，由500萬人增至1,800萬人。由於人口與豹群數量的增長，導致市郊區正與豹群的棲地相鄰。這樣的情況增加了人們與美洲豹產生互動的可能性，因此也就有必要明確的準則與教育，以確保豹群保育與公眾安全。
美國漁業暨野生物管理局14日提出了幾項準則，目的是管理人豹之間可能產生的互動，同時也教育居住在豹群棲地或進入該區的群眾在面對豹群時的安全行為。
漁業暨野生物管理局東南區主任漢米頓(Sam Hamilton)表示：「國家公園管理處(National Park Service)與佛州魚業暨野生物保育委員會(Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)將建立標準程序，以確保人們在遭遇豹群能夠維護自身安全。」假如一個人與一隻豹正面相遇，短時間內這隻豹沒有表現出威嚇的行為，或多次與同一隻豹相遇，而這隻豹在短期沒有侵略行為或刻意靠近，這個人面臨程度為低到中度的危險。
如果這隻豹蜷伏並抽動尾巴、雙眼凝視、耳朵下垂、身體低姿靠近地面或頭部上揚，這些是攻擊前行為，在此情況下的危險指數屬高度。
只有當豹群所在地點對人類安全造成可能的威脅時，例如一隻公豹闖進入了市郊區而且找不到回去的路，或是這隻豹進入了一個可能對其造成傷害區而威脅到牠的生命時，才會將考慮將牠重新安置到其它地區。
專家表示，將豹重新安置在其他豹的地盤，對於被遷移的個體而言是相當危險的，他們稱這種情形為「種內侵略」(intraspecific aggression)。
此計畫的環境評估(Environmental Assessment)內容提到：「種內侵略的情形在2005年導致一隻被重新安置的佛羅里達美洲豹死亡。這隻十個月大的公豹，在2004年的5月從巨柏國家保護區(Big Cypress National Preserve) 被移出該區，因為這隻豹活動的區域靠近原住民舉行儀式的地點，為了表示對當地佛州印第安人米克蘇基部落(Miccosukee Tribe)文化與宗教傳統的尊敬，公豹被遷出該地。」
「這隻豹被重新安置在北方60英里的州立森林。2005年1月，這隻公豹被另外一隻豹所殺死。」
人類適度的行為是與野生動物共處的關鍵，這項評估計畫中也包括許多準則以發展延伸的教育計畫，幫助人們了解在美洲豹棲地活動時應該注意到的豹群行為與行動。
參閱今日國家公園管理處在網上最新公布的「跨部會美洲豹因應計畫之環境評估」(Environment Assessment for the Interagency Florida Panther Response Plan)。
There are now between 80 and 100 panthers in Florida, a four-fold increase over the past 25 years, federal wildlife officials said today, announcing new guidelines for human-panther interaction.
One of the rarest large mammals in the United States, the Florida panther, Puma concolor coryi, is listed as endangered under both the federal Endangered Species Act and Florida law.
Once panthers lived from eastern Texas or western Louisiana and the lower Mississippi River Valley, east through the southeastern United States including all of Florida.
Twenty-five years ago numbers fell as low as 30 animals, but recovery actions, particularly genetic augmentation initiated in 1995, enabled the population to grow to an estimated 80-100 panthers.
During this same period, the Florida human population has grown 260 percent, from about five million to nearly 18 million people. Because of increases in numbers of people and panthers, urban-suburban areas now interface with panther habitat.
This situation increases the possibility of interaction between people and panthers. Definitive guidelines and instructions were needed to maximize the best outcome for both panther conservation and public safety.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today set forth guidelines for managing potential interactions between people and Florida panthers and for educating the public about safe behavior when living in panther habitat or exploring there.
"The Service, the National Park Service, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are ensuring public safety by establishing protocols for responding to possible encounters between humans and panthers," said Sam Hamilton, southeast regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The risk to humans is low to moderate if there is an unexpected direct meeting or a series of meetings over a short period between a human and a panther that exhibits nonthreatening behavior. Multiple encounters involve the same panther, which over a short period has shown no aggression nor has deliberately approached people in an area.
The risk factor is high if the panther crouches with tail twitching, intense staring, ears flattened, body low to the ground, head may be up. This is pre-attack behavior.
Relocation is an option only if the panther's location presents a possible threat to human safety, if a male panther wanders into an urban neighborhood and cannot find its way out, for instance, or there is a threat to the survival of a panther that may enter an area containing numerous physical hazards.
Relocating a panther into the territory of other panthers is risky for the introduced panther, the experts say. They call it intraspecific aggression.
"Intraspecific aggression was responsible for the death of a relocated Florida panther in 2005," states the Environmental Assessment. "This 10-month old male panther was removed from the Big Cypress National Preserve in May 2004 because it had been utilizing an area near a Native American ceremonial site. The panther was removed out of respect for the cultural and religious significance of the site to the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida."
"The panther was relocated 60 miles north to a state forest. In January 2005, the relocated panther was killed by another panther."
Because appropriate human behavior is a key to coexisting with wildlife, the plan also includes guidelines for developing an outreach and education program to help people understand panther behavior and actions that should be taken when in panther habitat.
Today, the Service announced that a final Environmental Assessment for the Interagency Florida Panther Response Plan is now available online.
