Reports of a panther in the San Marco area have some people keeping their eyes peeled, but the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says residents probably have nothing to worry about.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office received two separate reports last week of a panther sighting, one on Hendricks Avenue and the other at the dead end of Lasalle Street.
Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Karen Parker says they get lots of calls about panther sightings weekly from all over the state.
"A lot of the times what I see occurring is the panther that people thought they saw was actually either a bobcat, a dog, or a domestic house cat. Â You know, you see a flash of tawny fur and your mind immediately goes to 'Oh my gosh, that's a panther.'"
Parker says though she's certainly not discounting the reports JSO received, bobcats are much more common in northern Florida. Â The panther population, Parker says, is mostly in the southern part of the state. Â However, she still encourages residents to remain vigilant and not take anything for granted.
"Pick up any attractants in your yard that may bring creatures to your yard like garbage, barbecue grills, that kind of thing. Â If you do see a large cat, be it a panther or a bobcat or even a stray domestic cat that you're not familiar with, don't approach the animal, don't try to catch it, and don't try to pick it up."
Parker says if anyone can provide some physical evidence of the panther sighting, like tracks, a photo, or a video, it would greatly help her biologists.
