Chuck Ripper: Florida Panther

Artist: Chuck Ripper
1929 -
Nationality: American
Artwork Year: 1996
Image Size: 12.5 by 14.5 inches
Overall Size: 15 by 17.75 inches
Medium: Gouache Watercolor on Masonite

As elusive as it is majestic, the Florida Panther prowls furtively amongst the endless savannahs and labyrinthine mangrove swamps of the Everglades. Once found from Texas to South Carolina, this panther now survives only in Florida's Fakahatchee Strand, Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. Since hunting of the Florida Panther became illegal in 1958, the greatest threat to its livelihood has been civilization's relentless advance into even the remotest areas of the wild, driving the beast to the brink of extinction. The development of airboats, which allow human access to otherwise isolated areas, and the ever-increasing number of man-made roads and tracks, have shrunk an already severely dwindled domain. There remain only a few hundred of this spectacularly agile feline, which can reach over nine feet in length from head to tail. Those that are left are few and far between, for each adult panther occupies its own exclusive territory of -- remarkably -- as much as 800 square miles. In 1976, the Florida Panther Recovery Team was founded to maintain and nurture existing populations, and promote new protective measures for this magnificent cat. One of the most secretive of all wild animals, the Florida Panther presents a serious preservation challenge because of its natural elusiveness.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover for the U.S. 20¢ Florida Panther stamp issued October 2, 1996.

Artwork Copyright © 1996 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): Sold

Easy Purchase Plan: Buy this ArtworkOriginal with 8 monthly payments. Payments will be charged automatically as due to your Credit Card.

How to buy Original Artwork:

If you would like to buy Original Artwork, there are several convenient ways:

Use The Artwork Gallery: simply click the "Hang in Gallery" for pictures of interest. This puts the picture in your Personal Artwork Gallery, where you can view or remove it. When you've finished hanging artwork in your Personal Artwork Gallery, Go to your Personal Artwork Gallery and select an option for contacting us or ordering from us from there.

To get in touch with us directly about a piece of Artwork by Phone note the SKU and dial TOLL FREE 1-800-287-4079 from throughout U.S. and Canada.