A Villager captured an image on his security camera Tuesday and believes it may be a member of an endangered Florida species.
Robert Hubbard captured the image with the security camera mounted at his home in Villa Berea. Hubbard, who moved here from Michigan about a year ago, lives on the Glenview Championship Golf Course.
He got a notice on his smart phone that his security camera had captured the image.
“To say the least, I was surprised,” he said.
The Florida panther, Florida’s official state animal, is one of the most endangered animals on earth, with 100 to 160 adults remaining in southern Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Florida panthers normally live in remote, undeveloped areas, but development has reduced the animals’ habitat.
Florida panthers are most active in dawn and dusk hours, according to FWC. Their preferred prey are deer, raccoons and wild hogs. But they will settle for unsecured garbage, pet food and vegetable gardens.
