In 1981, the education commissioner of Florida Ralph Turlington along with Jacksonville-resident and legislator William Bankhead crafted a bill to name an official state animal. Deciding this opportunity could be a great, hands-on learning experience for students, Mr. Turlington and Mr. Bankhead decided to conduct a statewide poll and let students decide which animal would be named state animal.
The contenders were:
The Key deer
The Florida panther
The alligator
The manatee
A little boy petting a deer at the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key. Photo credit: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
With a vote of 29,313 students, the Florida panther won the title of the “official state animal”. The alligator was not far behind with 23,901 votes. The manatee and Key deer placed third and fourth, respectively.
A Florida panther seen in the Everglades
In 1892, the Panther was proclaimed by the Florida Legislature as its official state animal.
Although the panther is the official state animal, the alligator, which personally I think should have be dubbed “state animal”, is our state reptile. Alligators seem so much more Florida-esque than panthers. I mean, are deep-fried panther bites served at Florida restaurants? No. Does the Florida panther have an amazing SEC football team named after it? No. Is the panther portrayed in fashion by designers inspired by the Florida lifestyle? NO.
Fried gator tail from Frenchy's Salt Water Cafe in Clearwater,FL
Smokin Gator Casper's Alligator and Ostrich Farm just outside St. Augustine
It makes me wonder what the kids who voted on making the panther our state animal were thinking. Who knows.
Kids.
Sources:
http://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/state-animal/
http://www.stateofflorida.com/florida-symbols.aspx
http://www.panthersociety.org/faq.html
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/animals/fl_panther.htm
The Ocala-Star Newspaper- December 11, 1981
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19811211&id=Q65PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UgYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3451,6920696&hl=en
A little boy petting a deer at the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key. Photo credit: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
With a vote of 29,313 students, the Florida panther won the title of the “official state animal”. The alligator was not far behind with 23,901 votes. The manatee and Key deer placed third and fourth, respectively.
A Florida panther seen in the Everglades
In 1892, the Panther was proclaimed by the Florida Legislature as its official state animal.
Although the panther is the official state animal, the alligator, which personally I think should have be dubbed “state animal”, is our state reptile. Alligators seem so much more Florida-esque than panthers. I mean, are deep-fried panther bites served at Florida restaurants? No. Does the Florida panther have an amazing SEC football team named after it? No. Is the panther portrayed in fashion by designers inspired by the Florida lifestyle? NO.
Fried gator tail from Frenchy's Salt Water Cafe in Clearwater,FL
Smokin Gator Casper's Alligator and Ostrich Farm just outside St. Augustine
It makes me wonder what the kids who voted on making the panther our state animal were thinking. Who knows. Kids.
Sources:
http://dos.myflorida.com/florida-facts/florida-state-symbols/state-animal/
http://www.stateofflorida.com/florida-symbols.aspx
http://www.panthersociety.org/faq.html
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/animals/fl_panther.htm
The Ocala-Star Newspaper- December 11, 1981
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19811211&id=Q65PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UgYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3451,6920696&hl=en
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