big cat in the hood! holy cow!

The Florida panther is an endangered subspecies of cougar (Puma concolor) that lives in forests and swamps of southern Florida in the United States^.  It's exclusively known as the panther in Florida.
Males  can weigh up to 160 pounds and live within a range that includes the Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. This population, only currently occupies 5% of its historic range. In the 1970s, there were an estimated 20 Florida panthers in the wild, and their numbers have increased to an estimated 100 to 160 as of 2011. In 1982, the Florida panther was chosen as the state animal.  Panthers are spotted at birth and typically have blue eyes. As the it grows the spots fade and the coat becomes completely tan while the eyes typically take on a yellow hue. The panther's underbelly is a creamy white, with black tips on the tail and ears. They lack the ability to roar, and instead make distinct sounds that include whistles, chirps, growls, hisses, and purrs. Florida panthers are mid-sized for the species, being smaller than cougars from Northern and Southern climes but larger than cougars from the biotropics. The two highest causes of mortality for Florida panthers are automobile collisions and territorial aggression between panthers but the primary threats to the population as a whole include habitat loss, habitat degradation, and habitat fragmentation.
The Florida Fish and Game Commission has a site to report sightings of panthers .Her you can also find more information.  

https://public.myfwc.com/hsc/panthersightings/ge

 

the story

  So it was about 11:00AM when my remodeling contractor, Terry, showed up to start working on my new master bathroom..As he was getting organized on the front porch he noticed a large animal (the size of a large dog) bolt across the road and yard into some bushes in my side yard. He stopped and took a step toward the bushes and in an instant the large cat with its sleek body and boxy head bolted down the boardwalk (towards the back of the property)  and disappeared into the thick swamp brush!! He noticed that it looked like it had something  white hanging from its ear.

 

 

  Here is my harvest from my earth box and I got 4 spears of asparagus from my yard.....haha but tons of lemons and ruby reds this year