There are not many who start the day with a view of a wild animal on their porch. But for one family in Florida this is just what they were greeted with during a family get together.
Phil Hendra was visiting his father in Fort Myers when his son came running into the house from outside and eagerly told him there was a “funny dog” on the porch. But when the dad went out to look he made a startling discovery.
It was not a dog. It was an endangered Florida panther, according to Naples News.
The dad told Naples News back in March 2016 they were shocked that the panther didn’t run away when it saw them all staring at him. They could even stand inside and take pictures of the wild cat. Everyone was amazed as the animal remained calm.
“We will never forget the beauty that looked back at us, such a strong and rare animal,” said the father.
Apparently this isn’t the first time a panther has been spotted in a domestic setting. According to Darell Land, from the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission, a number of so-called Florida panthers have been discovered on people’s back yards and porches, despite their solitary nature.
It's not every day you look out the window to see a Florida panther sitting on your porch! Phil Hendra was at his father…
Posted by FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute on Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Hendra, who said his parents have lived at the house since 1988, says it wasn’t the first time an unexpected guest had been spotted; two years earlier, a neighbor had seen a young panther. But there was a big difference between the young panther and the fully grown one who greeted Hendra and his family.
Below is an image of a young panther:
Fascinated by Florida panthers?Then visit the 3rd Annual Florida Panther Festival tomorrow (November 16) in Naples. The…
Posted by FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute on Friday, November 15, 2013
The Florida panther has been on the endangered list since 1973, but numbers have been steadily growing since the mid 1990s after a program was introduced to boost its population. Today, there are an estimated 180 Florida panthers in the world.
Hendra said the panther stayed on his dad’s porch for about 20 minutes before it left.
The Florida Panther Festival is this Saturday, November 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens!…
Posted by FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute on Friday, November 4, 2016
I was amazed by this image of a panther undisturbed by the humans staring back at him. Please share this story and help increase awareness of such an incredible but endangered species.
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