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.
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:
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.
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.
Published by Newsner. Please like