Although Naples hunter Todd Alan Benfield intentionally killed an endangered Florida panther — and then lied about it to federal agents — he has received only a mild punishment for his crime.
The ruling follows a lengthy federal investigation which started in October 2009, when Benfield shot the rare cat with a bow and arrow because he “thought the panther was competing and interfering” with his hunting. He returned the following day and attempted to hide the body. When questioned a few days later by federal agents from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Benfield says he “lied about having anything to do with the killing of the Florida panther”.
Instead of the maximum punishment of a $100,000 and a year in prison without parole for violating the Endangered Species Act and committing a federal Class A misdemeanor, Benfield is supposed to fulfill a list of inconvenient requirements.
- 60 days home confinement, to be followed by 30 days of intermittent custody with the Federal Bureau of Prisons
- Three years of probation
- $5,000 fine
- $5,000 community service payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (payable during the term of probation)
- 200 hours of community service at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge or the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
- A public apology in the Naples Daily News
- A hunting ban during the term of probation, and the requirement of a hunter safety course
Benfield was also ordered to forfeit the “accessories” which he used to kill the Florida panther, including a compound bow, arrows, and ladder tree stand.
Florida panthers facing extinction
Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi) are a subspecies of the puma, and are at significant risk of extinction.
Fewer than 160 of these big cats are still surviving, and they occur in only five percent of their historic range.
Source: United States Department of Justice
Image: National Park Service Photo by Rodney Cammauf via Wikimedia Commons
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.