FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute has the story:
(h/t: Naples Daily News)
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’s house in East Fort Myers (Lee County) just south of the Orange River on March 18 when he took this photo of the endangered big cat. “It stayed for about 20 minutes and laid down for a bit,” said Hendra. “It looked at us inside the window then slowly walked away and we have not seen it since. My parents have lived here since 1988 and they may have seen a younger panther about two years ago, but nothing compares to this once in a lifetime experience.” We’d like to mention that this sighting did not occur in the Oldsmar area of Pinellas County. There’s been a lot of misinformation spreading on social media regarding the sighting location, so please disregard these false claims. To report panther sightings in Florida, visit: http://bit.ly/1pYivXe
Panther research and management by the FWC is funded almost entirely by the “Protect the Panther” license plate. To buy a panther license plate, visit: http://bit.ly/VnyOZg
