Jason Francis was looking for wild turkeys when he discovered something even more exciting– an endangered Florida panther. Francis told local southwest Florida news station, WINK, that this is the 2nd time he’s seen a panther in the Babcock Ranch Preserve. This time, he got a rough mobile phone image to prove it.
Fortunately, the encounter was short-lived and friendly. Francis and the panther crossed courses briefly, with about 30 feet in between them, before the panther turned and headed in the opposite instructions.
Francis informed WINK that he couldn’t get a video up and running before the animal fled. Possibly next time.
Image by Jason Francis through WINK Florida panthers are a subspecies of mountain lion that live in south Florida. They represent the only cougar population east of the Mississippi.
According to the Florida Nature Museum, this endangered subspecies as soon as numbered as couple of as 20 individuals. Thanks to conservation efforts, there are now approximated to be more than 200 adults in the forests and swamps of south Florida.
These predators usually keep away from humans, however encounters do happen. If you come across a Florida panther (or any other kind of mountain lion), make loud noises and throw rocks in the direction of the animal to encourage it to run away.
Jason Francis was searching for wild turkeys when he came across something more amazing– a threatened Florida panther.