A new film from National Geographic opens with the death of a Florida panther on one stretch of the state's thousands of miles of highway—but “Path of the Panther” also ends with a glimmer of hope for an endangered species that once dominated the Southeastern United States.
In the 88 minutes between opening and closing credits, director Eric Bendick follows photographer Carlton Ward Jr. on his quest to use camera traps to capture images of the big cat—in particular, Babs, a female who’s the first to venture north of the Caloosahatchee River river since 1973.
Ward—who grew up in Clearwater—hopes the images will convince policymakers that land in the wildlife corridor is worth more untouched than it ever will be pocked with rooftops or with toll roads running through it.
Along the way Ward’s traps let viewers see other Florida favorites (owl, deer, ibis, racoons, otter, turkey, gator, more) while Bendick introduces us to Indigenous protectors of the land (activist and educator Betty Osceola), Florida cowboys (DeSoto County Commissioner Elton Langford) and veterinarians at ZooTampa who are all interconnected in their effort to preserve wildlands.
He also gives Floridians rare glimpses of the panther up-close-and-personal, plus even rarer footage of Gov. Ron DeSantis not being a douche (the guv is seen near the end of the movie signing the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in July 2021).
The film, produced in part by Leonardo DiCaprio, is surprisingly emotional thanks to the candor and candidness of Ward, who wears his heart on his sleeve throughout the nearly six years of conservation work captured in this documentary.
National Geographic’s “Path Of the Panther” opens in theaters on Friday, Feb. 24, with both Ward and Bendick landing at the Tampa Theatre on premiere night (and Sunday, Feb. 26) for a post-show Q&A.
Photo by Carlton Ward Jr.
A Path of the Panther camera trap captured this photo at Babcock Ranch State Preserve, showing "Babs," a female panther, now a mother, standing next to one of her kittens. For photographer Carlton Ward Jr., this moment represents the last best hope for a new generation of panthers to be born north of the Caloosahatchee River and to one day reclaim their historic range.
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