MIAMI --A few Florida Panthers players recently had a chance to get up close and personal with the organization's namesake, as center Vincent Trocheck and defensemen Keith Yandle and Mark Pysyk spent an afternoon visiting Zoo Miami's resident Florida panther, Mahala.
Mahala, who was orphaned as a kitten after her mother was hit by a car, is one of the main attractions at the zoo's brand-new Florida: Mission Everglades exhibit - a beautiful area that has received funding through the Florida Panthers Community Champions Grant Program, which is presented by MOSS Construction.
Yandle, Panthers visit Zoo Miami with SOS Children's Village
"It's obviously a beautiful animal and I just learned that there's not many left in the world," Yandle said. "To come out here and see Mahala is a pretty cool experience. They just told us that the Florida black bear was endangered for a bit and now it's off that list.
"You hope the Florida panther can get off the endangered list as well. Obviously, everything helps, especially coming here and looking at the exhibit and everything our team does. It definitely goes a long way."
Joining Yandle and his teammates on their tour were kids from SOS Children's Village, another former Community Champion that is dedicated to the care of orphaned and abandoned children.
In addition to an interactive learning session with wildlife expert Ron Magill and full trip around the zoo, the kids also received a special goodie bag from the Panthers filled with things like toys and hats, which, of course, they had to get signed by Yandle, Trocheck and Pysyk.
"It really means a lot to the kids to be able to go on outings like these," said Emily Stroud, the Residential Manager at SOS Children's Village. "It helps provide the quality childhood that every child deserves. With SOS, we aim to provide normalcy. Anything we'd do for our own kids, we do for these kids at SOS.
"Knowing that there are other people out there in the community that care is very empowering in allowing them to experience new and different things, like today's glimpse at the inner workings at the zoo helps these kids identify their own talents and interests."
The Florida panther -- the state's official animal since 1987 - is unfortunately one of the most endangered mammals in the world, with an estimated 150 to 200 living in the wild as of 2017.
As an umbrella species, the Florida panther protects many other plants and animals that live in South Florida. At the top of the food chain, panthers not only keep feral hog numbers in check, but also make sure that deer, raccoon and other populations remain balanced and healthy.
But as their natural habitat continues to shrink, motorists, particularly those driving through what is known as "Panther Country" -- State Road 29 and Alligator Alley (I-75) -- have begun to come across these animals at an alarming rate, leading to numerous Florida panther deaths.
"We work closely with the state authorities and regulatory agencies to make sure that these animals are protected and to help educate people to understand them," said Magill, who promotes conservation efforts around the world. "There's an old saying that says, 'We protect we love. We love what we understand. We understand what we're taught.' The goal of the zoo is to teach people why these animals are important."
Magill said the zoo's partnership with the Panthers has helped spark new preservation efforts, including the building of a special state-of-the-art transportation crate, educational workshops and informative billboards that are currently deployed in the heart of "Panther Country."
"That opened up a lot of doors," Magill said of the Community Champions program. "It enabled us to bring kids from schools here to the zoo and give them some great exposure to these animals and plant that seed in them on why it's important to care for this wildlife. Then through things like banners and brochures, we're finding new ways to connect people to these animals."
A key pillar of the organization's foundation, the Florida panther has long been considered more than a mascot to their hockey-playing counterparts, with the animal's characteristics of strength, pride and territorial behavior helping shape the team's rich culture.
As a way of saying thanks, the Panthers will host their third-annual Panther Conservation Night on Saturday, March 24 at BB&T Center, where fans can learn more not only the animal, but also how they can raise awareness throughout the game.
"The Florida Panthers Foundation is really pleased to support panther conservation as one of the four pillars of the foundation," said Lauren Simone, the Executive Director of the Florida Panthers Foundation. "As our namesake, we feel it's really important to raise awareness about the Florida panther and the plight of the panther and do our part to help conservation efforts."
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