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Panther On A Porch: Research Institute Reveals True Story Behind Florida Panther Pic

By Jonathan Franks
Published on: 05:37 PST, Apr 1, 2016

If you saw a Florida panther sitting on your front porch, how would you react?

The FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute posted the viral picture of the Florida panther sitting on someone’s porch on its official Facebook page Tuesday.

Florida panther
[Image via Facebook]

The panther picture had already been in circulation for quite some time when that post was made. What made the institute’s post so popular, though, was the caption that went along with it.

“It’s not every day you look out the window to see a Florida panther sitting on your porch!”

Instead of following the pattern of funny and hilarious captions that other people created on social media based on the mere sighting of the panther alone, the institute focused on telling the true story behind when and where the picture was originally taken. The man who apparently took the picture was Phil Hendra. Hendra was visiting his father’s home in East Fort Myers (or Lee County) in Florida on March 18. The photo caption also shared Hendra’s statement about what happened when he first noticed the Florida panther on his father’s porch.

“It stayed for about 20 minutes and laid down for a bit. 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.”

Providing accurate information about when, where, and how this viral photograph was taken clears the air and squashes many of the rumored locations and stories that have been circulating online. For instance, the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute specifically addressed the rumors location of the Oldsmar area of Pinellas County within the posted photo caption.

“There’s been a lot of misinformation spreading on social media regarding the sighting location, so please disregard these false claims.”

This is definitely not the first time that a Florida panther sighting has made waves on social media. Video footage of a Florida panther approaching a female hiker is currently circulating online as well. Fortunately, no one was harmed in either incident.

According to the Florida Panther Society, these panthers are actually the most active at dawn and dusk. The average Florida panther is capable of traveling between 15 and 20 miles each day. When it comes to hunting their prey, they are mostly effective at using short spring attacks after creeping up to their victims as closely as possible.

Even though they do not have the same type of panoramic view that a deer has, the Florida panther is known for its impressive sense of smell and its 130-degree field of vision.

The report further states that they are not primarily known for attacking humans whenever they are in the same area together.

“When humans approach an area they will either be still, disappear, or attempt to circle behind.”

Perhaps that is why neither of the now-viral encounters that humans have had with a Florida panther ended happily and without any life-threatening emergencies. When it comes to having an up close and personal encounter with a wild cat, the Florida panther might be one of the best candidates for the average human to hope for when it comes to these “once in a lifetime” experiences.

[Image via Dollar Photo Club]

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