LEE COUNTY, Fla. — When Phil Hendra was at his parents' East Fort Myers home recently, he got quite a shock when an endangered Florida panther decided to sit down and hang out on the porch for a while.
“It stayed for about 20 minutes and laid down for a bit,” Hendra said. “It looked at us inside the window, then slowly walked away and we have not seen it since.”
His parents have lived in the home since 1988 and they have seen a younger panther in the area a few years ago, “but nothing compares to this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Hendra said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute shared Hendra’s story on their Facebook page with a photo of the panther.
The organization pointed out that the sighting did not occur in the Oldsmar area of Pinellas County, as had been widely reported on social media.
“There’s been a lot of misinformation spreading on social media regarding the sighting location, so please disregard these false claims,” the organization said on its Facebook page.
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
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