I’ve sought your website to advise you of an unusual wildlife sighting. This sighting is, admittedly, a very old one.

Between approximately 1972 and 1976 my family and I were traveling south on U.S. 41 between present day Bass Road and Turner River Road, east of S.R. 29. In this area, I and two other family members in our car saw a black panther cross the road in front of us from left to right (north to south), pause next to a culvert on the south side of 41, turn and look at us, then move down into the culvert out of our view.

The panther did not run across the road, but moved at what could be considered a ‘trot’. The entire time it was in our view was approximately 5 seconds.

The persons whom witnessed this event were my father, whom was driving and is now deceased, my younger brother, whom is presently a fire battalion chief, and I – an attorney. The three of us were the only ones awake at the time as we had departed our home in Bradenton at around 4:00 AM. [We made this trip (Bradenton to Miami via U.S. 41) often to visit family. This was, of course, prior to the construction of I-75.] The other three members of my family (mother, older brother and young sister) were asleep.

The reasons I am convinced that what I, my father and brother saw was a black panther are:

1. the length of time we were able to observe it;
2. the relatively close proximity;
3. the depth perception given by the animal’s pausing next to then disappearing into the culvert;
4. the viewing conditions: daylight (about 7:30 AM), 100% visibility (i.e., dry, no fog, rain, etc.);
5. my father’s experience as a veterinarian – although not a wildlife vet – which helped to exclude canines; and
6. my comparative experience in observing natural Florida wildlife (i.e., otter, fox, hog, other panther, raccoon, etc.) over subsequent years.

I acknowledge that black panthers are not naturally native to Florida, or even North America. Nevertheless, I am certain that this was the animal I, my father and brother observed. My father never wavered in his conviction and my brother remains convinced to this day of our observation.

I make this report as I know your agency depends, in addition to scientific research, evidence and agency observation, reports from non-expert, non-agency observers of wildlife in the Florida Everglades. I pass this information to you for you to do as you see fit. I neither seek or desire anything from the making of this report.

Thank you for taking the time to read this incident report.

Sincerely,

Samuel D. Blanco
Naples, FL
February 14, 2010