So last night, Michael and I cleaned up our yard. We got finished around dusk, and we let the dogs out to run in the backyard after we were through. I was in the house cooking, when Michael knocked on the deck door and motioned for me to come outside.
Well, the porch lights were on- we live behind a wooded area and it gets DARK out there- and we could see the glimmer of some animals’ eye from the porch light about 15 yards off the corner of our house.
I kind of got scared, but we both saw a tuft of tan and white. So then we got excited, like we were about to see a herd of deer! The noise coming from the woods was crunching, like paws or hooves on dried leaves. The noise kept getting further away, down towards our neighbors house.
*us expecting deer to come out*
Something emerges from the woods…
dogs are going NUTS at this point…
Michael and I in unison: “OH MY GOSH!!!”
Me: “GET THE DOGS INSIDE!!!!”
Michael: “I’m going to the front to get a better look at it!”
Me: “GET THE DOGS INSIDE NOW!!!!!”
It was none other than…
Oh.my.gosh.
We have a real, BIG, Florida Panther living behind our house. This cat weighed 150 pounds, EASY. It. was. HUGE.
So I called Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation this morning. Really, by law, we can have it relocated, but unless it poses a threat, which at this point, i’m not REALLY worried about it (FWC says they don’t really attack unless provoked, and dogs bark so they really don’t like to have to put up a fight with their prey) unless it attacks my dogs or another person. I mean, this cat was there probably LONG before any of the houses in our subdivision was built. Our little corner of the world also happens to be his.
I could not believe what I saw last night. Isn’t God wonderful? He created something so beautiful and I was so blessed to see it. Something like that doesn’t happen everyday!
One Comment
You are so incredibly lucky, and I am so impressed with your composure and intelligence in handling this situation. I don’t know what area of Florida you live in, but if you are involved in saving the Panther you know how some people would react, with a shotgun.
, please send them over to my e-mail! I’m posting your story in my group, I know they’d be pleased to see not everyone here solves the visit of a wild beautiful animal with a gun! Thank you so much for posting this, you have done my heart good.
It made my day to read we have more on-the-ball folks here, I am very grateful for your concern for the Panther. The link attached is my group on Care2.com, feel free to visit and join if you are interested. And if you get any picks of your neighbor
God bless!
Ceci