No. Humans have the right away. It was good that they were there that day to deter them from crossing the bridge. They must have the fear of humans and stay in the protected national park areas to preserve their very lives. @@clemenza24 God bless you
To be honest, I feel like the two panthers just got caught. Basic predatory instincts, “stalk prey in a stealthy manor”. The person who recorded the video just spotted the predator, by keeping still he just turned the game.
Pretty much spot on.... I'm very comfortable in the wild so I kept calm watched them watching me, and when they went into the brush, I calmly finished up and left it to them. There was really no egress for me at that time.
@@hardcorps5317 they are intimidatingly long considering they lunge to pounce on prey. I knew a lady here in Naples that had several big cats as pets and one was a female Florida panther.... people can say what they want. I’ve seen the cat within 5 feet behind a cyclone fence. I wouldn’t take them lightly. Whenever I went into the enclosed room she had for feeding I always felt as if the panther was looking to pull me into the fence. I only went into the enclosure a few times before I stayed outside and watched from the window.... beautiful animals however not worth possibly getting mauled.
You were fortunate to see two together, this time of year likely a breeding pair, I have only seen Cougars twice in the wild both encounters were in New Hampshire over 30 years ago. Both sighting were fleeting sightings and I only saw them for a moment. Florida cougars are even more rare than they are in New England.
You do if they're littermates out for a walk. They tend to stay with mom for up to two years, and then can stay together after they leave her for up to another year. Just beautiful!!!!!!
Ella McLeod...Oh my god, how many have you seen in your life? I'm 69 and haven't seen even one. I love all these expert opinions...have any of them ever seen any?
@@nofaithjusthope8714 I have. I knew a lady here in Naples that had four Eurasian lynx and one female Florida panther she named Nela. There’s quite a large community of big cat people that are around especially here in south west Florida. She got her cats throughout jungle Larry & jungle Jane who had major ties to the zoo here in Naples. The Lynx are pretty much twice the size of domestic cats. The female panther was for sure 6 foot and more from muzzle to tail. Don’t think for one second these Florida panthers wont pounce on someone if they’re hungry..... the owners told me more than once that you can never take the wild out of wild animals..... this woman lived in the Everglades. You should have seen all she had to do with these big cats when the Everglades were on fire a few years ago.... not like you can pack all these cats up and head over to the Hilton until the flames pass.
@@FingerGamers3 They've rebounded, some range all the way into north Florida/Georgia now. They're far more common in central south Florida though, especially around big cypress. I saw a lot of them in Hendry/Glades area. They have a natural fear of humans from being shot on sight up until relatively recently. As they go further though I'd recommend anybody watch their kids outside and keep any pets indoors they don't mind being eaten. Those are the main risks, same with coyotes, and bobcats though.
@@twostop6895 I feel like cougars size and weight vary in different areas. Up north cougars are massive, males regularly reaching 220 pounds+ in their prime and 9 feet nose to tail. Cougars in Florida tend to be a bit smaller.
I am one of those too which are very lucky to have seen a Florida Panther in the wild. It was quite a number of years ago that my two kids and their Mom was driving along the road to Flamingo in Everglades National Park. It was in the fall and there were no other cars on this road. So any way as we were driving along all at once this big " cat " slowly up over side of the road and then across the road and down the other side. There was no mistake about it , it was a Florida Panther. We were dumb founded and so lucky.
I just saw one from afar a week ago I live in NE Florida. I thought it was a dog at first until I saw it move. I was in the woods with my dog. I also found it’s dropping’s which were in the middle of the path and full of blonde hair. Like completely full of hair. At first I thought” wow someone’s dog has a serious licking problem”😂 then it hit me and I took my ass back home 😂
Wow, Mr. Hochman, this is so AWESOME!!!!!!! I've lived in Miami since 1979, when I was only 4 years old(45 now, damn time goes by, LoL).. I have yet to see a Florida Panther in the wild. These two are probably a breeding pair! Or two adolescents. Probably a breeding pair, though, since they both look fully grown. You're so lucky!! Thanks for uploading this video! Dude, the Everglades!
Mountain lions are not truly panthers, panthers actually are leopards. Cougars, and pumas are other names for the mountain lion. Tropical mountain lions tend to look a bit more like a golden cat
I encountered 2 baby panthers and two adult panthers in my street. I was going for a run with my sis and saw them. They waited for us to go away. They finally ran off into the woods and we ran home
Truly amazing footage congratulations make you're so lucky to have taken that because if you didn't have it on camera no one would believe you and I would say that you would looking at a house cats
The amount of nay-sayers just blows my mind. Comment after comment “no you didn’t see a big cat it was a dog or house cat”. Like, what makes you an expert ON ANYTHING 🙄
@@MissesNoitall I actually didn't mean to include the letter I in the sentence and I would have believed him anyway. In Australia a guy claim to have photos of a Tasmanian tiger and caused an absolute media frenzy amongst e cryptic Society and when he released the picture he released a picture of a tabby cat head and claimed it was a baby Tassie tiger. There's one thing about the internet you can acquire so much knowledge without being formally trained but I would never say I'm an expert under any circumstance.. I actually share your frustration at house so called experts can just say outright that the person has mistaken the Panther for another animal. Cheers from Melbourne Australia
Awesome footage! I have a gator encounter on my channel but this is truly mesmerizing! It’s true they may not be likely to attack but the animals are still deadly and pose serious threat considering 2 are present. Regardless the video is awesome and thanks for the upload!
Kinda funny he was taking small steps as they were walking away. But he stopped on a dime and started to retreat when the bigger one plopped on the ground for a small rest. I guess his balls ran away from him at that moment😂😂
In my travels I've seen black bears, brown bears a lynx and a wolf, but never a mountain lion / panther, though I suspect I've probably been seen by more than one.
I have been in close proximity to many dangerous animals on several continents, mostly by chance. I have been taught by experts that a calm demeanor and only backing away quickly when absolutely needed is the correct response. By taking several calm steps towards them I showed I am not something to be bothered with. I was not afraid and they were not either. Also, there has never been an attack by one of these beautiful animals in the state of Florida. Many people also have commented that I should have taken an escape route...there was none. My training as an outdoorsman is significant and often well documented.
If I recall correctly, the animals (regional) name is the Puma not panther. These are "Everglades Cougars", if you will. "Panther" or "Panthera" is the genus for (4) much larger species of big cats, of which, this particular cat does not fall under. Regardless of that though - that is one hell of an "encounter"! I'd love to have the opportunity to see several wild animals like this!
I was there fishing, if the big cats would have sent me a notice they would be there I would have hired a film crew. I worked with what I had at the moment.😀
@@romeisburning6739 so my brother and i were hiking the FT and decided to split up for the night. We had started to get a bit frustrated at each other. Anyway, when i stopped for the night i hadn't seen a good spot in a few miles and i was beat carrying about 50lbs. I settled for a little clearing right next to the trail as the sun set. It wasnt a great spot at all but i was tarp camping so i had to get set up quickly and only had about 20min of light left when i settled for the spot. As soon as i got my tarp set up and began to collect some wood for a small fire i heard something creeping around the shrubs nearby. My first thought was an armadillo because it was very little noise. Then it continued with less of a scurrying sound than an armadillo. At that point i started thinking it could be a black bear cub which would be bad.. I had seen lots of tracks on the trail for 15 miles or so that day. I found a large branch and set a fire. Then i sharpened the branch into a spear with a machete i was carrying. When i set the fire and sat down i heard a growl. At first it was completely unrecognizable but i assumed bear i think. So i stood up and yelled "go away bear" as i banged the spear on a tree. I also took all the wood i had gathered which was mostly long thin branches and i made a funnel so that anything that came at me had to come from the front and through my fire or at least make a bunch of noise going through the branches. The back of my shelter was against some large fallen trees. At that point I heard the growl again and realized "thats not a bear". The best i can describe it is the sound that The Predator form the movie makes. A gurgling growl kinda. At that point i new i was in trouble because if its a cat its pissed that im there and im not gonna see it coming. I stoked my fire and made a call to Florida Fish and Wildlife telling them my situation. They thought i was confused and it was a bear but when i described the sound they changed their assessment. They dispatched Ranger Rice to me after i gave them my location. For almost 2 hours that cat would growl when i stoked the fire or moved. Just as i threw my last log on the fire and was thinking "this is it, when the fire goes out its on" I noticed lights from through the trees behind me and heard a truck. I hadn't realized but a service road was only about 30yds behind me. The rangers had arrived and i started shining my flashlight into the tree canopy so they could spot me. They lit up their blue and white lights and hit the siren and i heard the cat run away. I never did see it. I came out of the woods without my pack straight toward the Ranger and his partner wielding an Uncle Henry knife and a machete. They had some questions of course since the panthers are rare and they hadn't seen one there before. I left my things there for the night and they drove me into Salt Springs where i stayed until morning. I went back to the spot and gathered my things then met up with my brother a few miles down the trail near the 88 Store with a crazy story.. I hope that was enough detail and worth the read!
There are very, very few pure strain Florida Panthers left in the wild....the ones we do see are most often part f a breeding program with Wyoming Cougars.
Nice footage. I think the cats would have probably crossed the way if you retreated. They clearly were not a threat and please ignore the stupid comments from the idiots who know nothing about native wildlife. Great film! Thanks for sharing! I saw one when I was a kid many years ago. They are beautiful felines!
They definitely wanted to cross the bridge but their was no place for me to retreat to. I just kept calm and enjoyed the situation.I'm extremely knowledgeable in how to handle myself in wild life situations including non cage diving with sharks. It was a truly amazing experience, not just for seeing these beautiful cats but also for the amount of time they spent with us. As for those who who like to pass judgement on my abilities or what I should have done, well, it's easy to do that from the relative safety of their couch.
@@TheOutdoorsGuy16 That's right, you did great, and really the only thing you could have done. Maybe if you would have mentioned at first the bridge was out at your end, some of people's dumb comments could have been avoided. :) I just was wondering if the bridge was out at your end, how were the cats going to cross? Could they have jumped across the length that it was out? Good place to set up a wild life camera?? Great film, thanks!
@@loadedfun4764 On January 2nd my trail cam at the end of my driveway captured a huge panther. I still haven't seen one live. On the eve of January 1st my cam took a pic of a bobcat. Both walking past my driveway.
Good to see these guys they are under heavy threat of extinction due to development, parkways, and habitat destruction..maybe the next governor we get will be more concerned about protecting these beautiful and rare animals!
Private Information they were there before us and we just randomly move in and take their land it really is sad.. tbh basically the same thing we did to the Indians but I semi agree that we should defiently keep a watch on their growth to kept it in control
This looks very much to me like the L-28 canal road quite east of Route 29 and just a few miles west of Snake Road. I see big cat prints there all the time and sometimes a strong smell of the male’s spray.
This was on Federal land so the answer is no, you cannot carry a weapon, however you really do not need one, these animals truly want nothing to do with us and I'm not sure there has ever been a Florida Panther attack in the state....ever...
@@TheOutdoorsGuy16 Actually that's not true. Starting in 2010, the laws changed and you ARE ALLOWED to carry firearms in all federal parks with the exception of about twenty specific parks. However, a firearm IS NOT to be considered as protection from wildlife. Carrying a concealed firearm in a national park is governed by the state statues in the state the park is located. This law changed under the Obama administration, yet so many think Obama was out to take away your 2nd Ammendment right... When actually the tRump administration has done more against your 2nd Ammendment rights in three years than Obama did in his eight years! Facts matter! ;-)
@Grant Walker OK, so now an animal is different based on where you see it??? You can take the Mountain Lion out of the mountains, but you can't just take the mountain out of the Mountain Lion...
@Grant Walker I get it - not fighting with you ;) I'm genuinely interested whether it is a legitimate sub-species - have never heard of a "Florida Panther" before - I'm not from the States...
Our family saw one in Miramar, FL of all places, during lockdown during the pandemic. One of the incredible privileges that the pandemic brought us. Thank you for sharing your video ❤️
Looks like the L-28 Interceptor. If your a panther/nature fan, you might enjoy this song on the Florida Panther by singer/songwriter Bobby Angel: th-cam.com/video/Tqi6EwEgqcM/w-d-xo.html.
People cross the street everyday and there is more danger in doing that. But you should always know what you're doing when you are out in the woods. Plus there has never been a documented attack on a human from a Florida panther
I believe they were waiting for you to go away so they could cross the bridge.
Im watching that thinking" back up so they can cross " thats clearly what they wanted to do !
No. Humans have the right away. It was good that they were there that day to deter them from crossing the bridge. They must have the fear of humans and stay in the protected national park areas to preserve their very lives. @@clemenza24 God bless you
@@tammychristinerager wrong out in the wilderness that's their home and we are the guest ,get the fuck out of the way and let the lion cross !
@@clemenza24 who built that bridge? That looks like a mans bridge to me.. built with taxpayer money!
@@natureboyricflair8555 By that logic panthers are man eaters and have the right to eat those men.
I was fortunate enough to see one while vacationing in the Everglades as a kid, but 2!!! That’s a whole new level!!
I'm jealous. That is so cool to see, and that they didn't take off running from him either, is amazing. He's so lucky.
Panther to Panther: "This dude is fucking up our whole route"
To be honest, I feel like the two panthers just got caught. Basic predatory instincts, “stalk prey in a stealthy manor”. The person who recorded the video just spotted the predator, by keeping still he just turned the game.
Damm it next bridge down in 20 miles so what we do ?
Pretty much spot on.... I'm very comfortable in the wild so I kept calm watched them watching me, and when they went into the brush, I calmly finished up and left it to them. There was really no egress for me at that time.
Trash mouth. Low iq
breathtaking! can't imagine how cool this was to experience in person, so dope
I like how the first panther looks at the other one like “idk I usually go this way but I’ve never seen these things here before”
Seeing one is rare, but TWO??? That is something to cherish (lol after you get to safety though)
How long would it take for a panther to cross that bridge?
@@hardcorps5317 not long considering they are 7 foot long from nose to tail.
@@loadedfun4764 maybe the guy is just lucky those cats had something better to do at the time.
@@hardcorps5317 they are intimidatingly long considering they lunge to pounce on prey. I knew a lady here in Naples that had several big cats as pets and one was a female Florida panther.... people can say what they want. I’ve seen the cat within 5 feet behind a cyclone fence. I wouldn’t take them lightly. Whenever I went into the enclosed room she had for feeding I always felt as if the panther was looking to pull me into the fence. I only went into the enclosure a few times before I stayed outside and watched from the window.... beautiful animals however not worth possibly getting mauled.
@@loadedfun4764 interesting. Thanks.
To think that behind all those trees and bushes lurks these amazing endangered creatures. I hope to see one one day. Incredible
You were fortunate to see two together, this time of year likely a breeding pair, I have only seen Cougars twice in the wild both encounters were in New Hampshire over 30 years ago. Both sighting were fleeting sightings and I only saw them for a moment. Florida cougars are even more rare than they are in New England.
Oh my god you NEVER see two together, this is incredible
You do if they're littermates out for a walk. They tend to stay with mom for up to two years, and then can stay together after they leave her for up to another year. Just beautiful!!!!!!
He is super lucky just to find one is lucky
It's always more dangerous with two. It's either a mother and one of its Cubs or a breeding pair and the males going to be hyper aggressive.
Ella McLeod...Oh my god, how many have you seen in your life? I'm 69 and haven't seen even one. I love all these expert opinions...have any of them ever seen any?
@@nofaithjusthope8714 I have. I knew a lady here in Naples that had four Eurasian lynx and one female Florida panther she named Nela. There’s quite a large community of big cat people that are around especially here in south west Florida. She got her cats throughout jungle Larry & jungle Jane who had major ties to the zoo here in Naples. The Lynx are pretty much twice the size of domestic cats. The female panther was for sure 6 foot and more from muzzle to tail. Don’t think for one second these Florida panthers wont pounce on someone if they’re hungry..... the owners told me more than once that you can never take the wild out of wild animals..... this woman lived in the Everglades. You should have seen all she had to do with these big cats when the Everglades were on fire a few years ago.... not like you can pack all these cats up and head over to the Hilton until the flames pass.
Beautiful. I’m glad you got your face in there. No one would believe you. Truly an amazing experience. Congratulations
You're really lucky man, I've lived in Florida my whole life and been to the Everglades multiple times and I have never seen a wild Florida panther.
Florida Panthers rarely, if ever attack people.
@@Treekicker Yea, a big reason is due to their dangerously low population and fear of humans.
@@FingerGamers3 They've rebounded, some range all the way into north Florida/Georgia now. They're far more common in central south Florida though, especially around big cypress. I saw a lot of them in Hendry/Glades area. They have a natural fear of humans from being shot on sight up until relatively recently. As they go further though I'd recommend anybody watch their kids outside and keep any pets indoors they don't mind being eaten. Those are the main risks, same with coyotes, and bobcats though.
@Robert Lowery all the same thing,
@@twostop6895 I feel like cougars size and weight vary in different areas. Up north cougars are massive, males regularly reaching 220 pounds+ in their prime and 9 feet nose to tail. Cougars in Florida tend to be a bit smaller.
I am one of those too which are very lucky to have seen a Florida Panther in the wild. It was quite a number of years ago that my two kids and their Mom was driving along the road to Flamingo in Everglades National Park. It was in the fall and there were no other cars on this road. So any way as we were driving along all at once this big " cat " slowly up over side of the road and then across the road and down the other side. There was no mistake about it , it was a Florida Panther. We were dumb founded and so lucky.
I just saw one from afar a week ago I live in NE Florida. I thought it was a dog at first until I saw it move. I was in the woods with my dog. I also found it’s dropping’s which were in the middle of the path and full of blonde hair. Like completely full of hair. At first I thought” wow someone’s dog has a serious licking problem”😂 then it hit me and I took my ass back home 😂
Very cool encounter.... I have yet to see one Florida Panther in the wild and those guys acted as if they were long lost friends!
So cool. I get excited about the one I saw while fishing, but to see a pair...wow.
@Chris South of Marco Island.
Just when you thought 2 was enough here’s 4 at one time th-cam.com/video/sp9QLe_PXU4/w-d-xo.html
Wow, Mr. Hochman, this is so AWESOME!!!!!!! I've lived in Miami since 1979, when I was only 4 years old(45 now, damn time goes by, LoL).. I have yet to see a Florida Panther in the wild. These two are probably a breeding pair! Or two adolescents. Probably a breeding pair, though, since they both look fully grown. You're so lucky!! Thanks for uploading this video! Dude, the Everglades!
The conservancy tags them and cuts them loose right there off of 75. You can see the secured gate on the north bound side of the road.
I’m one of the lucky ones, too. Hernando County in February 2017. Thanks for posting this!
Wow...rare sighting!..looks like they were being cautious or waiting til you vacate the area!!!🐱🐱🐱
It made me so happy to see two together!!
Cool, it was nice meeting you guys today!
Amazing Florida mountain lions are from Central America darker and smaller then the west mountain lions, with slightly darker markings!
Mountain lions are not truly panthers, panthers actually are leopards. Cougars, and pumas are other names for the mountain lion. Tropical mountain lions tend to look a bit more like a golden cat
They wanted to cross the bridge, but the troll wouldn't let them, so them ran away! 😄
“ So.. Grandpa, tell us again how you lost part of your scalp and the left side of buttock again? “
I encountered 2 baby panthers and two adult panthers in my street. I was going for a run with my sis and saw them. They waited for us to go away. They finally ran off into the woods and we ran home
Man there all over down here.
I have lived in Florida for one year and this morning I saw a panther just outside of
Ponce de Leon Park in Punta Gorda.
Truly amazing footage congratulations make you're so lucky to have taken that because if you didn't have it on camera no one would believe you and I would say that you would looking at a house cats
The amount of nay-sayers just blows my mind. Comment after comment “no you didn’t see a big cat it was a dog or house cat”. Like, what makes you an expert ON ANYTHING 🙄
@@MissesNoitall I actually didn't mean to include the letter I in the sentence and I would have believed him anyway. In Australia a guy claim to have photos of a Tasmanian tiger and caused an absolute media frenzy amongst e cryptic Society and when he released the picture he released a picture of a tabby cat head and claimed it was a baby Tassie tiger. There's one thing about the internet you can acquire so much knowledge without being formally trained but I would never say I'm an expert under any circumstance.. I actually share your frustration at house so called experts can just say outright that the person has mistaken the Panther for another animal. Cheers from Melbourne Australia
Wow! So incredible! Thank you so much for sharing 🦁
You were very lucky to see them. They would cross the bridge if you walk back away and remain still.
This animal is an isolated population and each individual counts for the survival of the species
Wow , great footage thanks for sharing 👍🐆
wow my parents have a small sanctuary for servals. We have a puma!
They'd obviously been listening to Patti Page's song "Cross Over The Bridge".
Looks like a breeding pair good!
You are so LUCKY to see them.
Come across everything from bobcats, bears, coyotes but never a panther. Super cool
I Know that bridge well, I use to live not far from there... That crosses over the K-28 interceptor canal
Awesome footage! I have a gator encounter on my channel but this is truly mesmerizing! It’s true they may not be likely to attack but the animals are still deadly and pose serious threat considering 2 are present. Regardless the video is awesome and thanks for the upload!
Just when you thought 2 was enough here’s 4 at one time th-cam.com/video/sp9QLe_PXU4/w-d-xo.html
Great capture on video!! There's hope!!!??
"Thou shalt not pass."
Kinda funny he was taking small steps as they were walking away. But he stopped on a dime and started to retreat when the bigger one plopped on the ground for a small rest. I guess his balls ran away from him at that moment😂😂
Looks like they are waiting for you to get off the bridge. Instead you moved closer. Brillant.
Wow cool! We saw a bobcat in WPB last yr and I thought that was cool but this is crazy
In my travels I've seen black bears, brown bears a lynx and a wolf, but never a mountain lion / panther, though I suspect I've probably been seen by more than one.
Can you recall what bridge this was?? We would love to return here and see what we find!
You're a very lucky man indeed. I have a house in the Estates and never seen one in years even in the night let alone during the day.
They’re run all over in the picayune strand.
Why do you have to walk closer and possibly provoke an attack. Humans.
I have been in close proximity to many dangerous animals on several continents, mostly by chance. I have been taught by experts that a calm demeanor and only backing away quickly when absolutely needed is the correct response. By taking several calm steps towards them I showed I am not something to be bothered with. I was not afraid and they were not either. Also, there has never been an attack by one of these beautiful animals in the state of Florida. Many people also have commented that I should have taken an escape route...there was none. My training as an outdoorsman is significant and often well documented.
If I recall correctly, the animals (regional) name is the Puma not panther. These are "Everglades Cougars", if you will. "Panther" or "Panthera" is the genus for (4) much larger species of big cats, of which, this particular cat does not fall under. Regardless of that though - that is one hell of an "encounter"! I'd love to have the opportunity to see several wild animals like this!
I'm from Florida, born and raised. There's no name for them down here other than "Florida panther"
WOW Thanks for Sharing!!!
Thanks for sharting.
Lol
Do you mean Puma ?....Panther refers to Leopard which you guys also have,albeit very rare !
Technically name is Florida Panther even though they’re pumas for some reason. I guess it’s the equivalent of a panther without being one?
Wow, lucky to ever even get that on trail cam, much less cell phone. Once in a life score on that one.
I guess the calculator that you are using to film doesn't have a zoom feature
I was there fishing, if the big cats would have sent me a notice they would be there I would have hired a film crew. I worked with what I had at the moment.😀
Had an angry Panther run me out of my camp near Salt Springs on The Florida Trail a bout a month ago. Was pretty intense.
lol good thing youre alright
Lol I know a year has passed but you gotta drop more details than this.
@@romeisburning6739 so my brother and i were hiking the FT and decided to split up for the night. We had started to get a bit frustrated at each other. Anyway, when i stopped for the night i hadn't seen a good spot in a few miles and i was beat carrying about 50lbs. I settled for a little clearing right next to the trail as the sun set. It wasnt a great spot at all but i was tarp camping so i had to get set up quickly and only had about 20min of light left when i settled for the spot. As soon as i got my tarp set up and began to collect some wood for a small fire i heard something creeping around the shrubs nearby. My first thought was an armadillo because it was very little noise. Then it continued with less of a scurrying sound than an armadillo. At that point i started thinking it could be a black bear cub which would be bad.. I had seen lots of tracks on the trail for 15 miles or so that day. I found a large branch and set a fire. Then i sharpened the branch into a spear with a machete i was carrying. When i set the fire and sat down i heard a growl. At first it was completely unrecognizable but i assumed bear i think. So i stood up and yelled "go away bear" as i banged the spear on a tree. I also took all the wood i had gathered which was mostly long thin branches and i made a funnel so that anything that came at me had to come from the front and through my fire or at least make a bunch of noise going through the branches. The back of my shelter was against some large fallen trees. At that point I heard the growl again and realized "thats not a bear". The best i can describe it is the sound that The Predator form the movie makes. A gurgling growl kinda. At that point i new i was in trouble because if its a cat its pissed that im there and im not gonna see it coming. I stoked my fire and made a call to Florida Fish and Wildlife telling them my situation. They thought i was confused and it was a bear but when i described the sound they changed their assessment. They dispatched Ranger Rice to me after i gave them my location. For almost 2 hours that cat would growl when i stoked the fire or moved. Just as i threw my last log on the fire and was thinking "this is it, when the fire goes out its on" I noticed lights from through the trees behind me and heard a truck. I hadn't realized but a service road was only about 30yds behind me. The rangers had arrived and i started shining my flashlight into the tree canopy so they could spot me. They lit up their blue and white lights and hit the siren and i heard the cat run away. I never did see it. I came out of the woods without my pack straight toward the Ranger and his partner wielding an Uncle Henry knife and a machete. They had some questions of course since the panthers are rare and they hadn't seen one there before. I left my things there for the night and they drove me into Salt Springs where i stayed until morning. I went back to the spot and gathered my things then met up with my brother a few miles down the trail near the 88 Store with a crazy story..
I hope that was enough detail and worth the read!
@@IAmWhatevaUSayIAm hehehe I think you missed out on telling us the exact time the ranger got there hahahaha ...just kidding interesting reading.
That's cool, Noah! I've been visiting the Everglades, too.
They were like man you're standing on the bridge we want to cross LOL.
Mating pair??
So are these just mountain lions ? just asking as I do not know.
There are very, very few pure strain Florida Panthers left in the wild....the ones we do see are most often part f a breeding program with Wyoming Cougars.
Nice footage. I think the cats would have probably crossed the way if you retreated. They clearly were not a threat and please ignore the stupid comments from the idiots who know nothing about native wildlife. Great film! Thanks for sharing! I saw one when I was a kid many years ago. They are beautiful felines!
They definitely wanted to cross the bridge but their was no place for me to retreat to. I just kept calm and enjoyed the situation.I'm extremely knowledgeable in how to handle myself in wild life situations including non cage diving with sharks. It was a truly amazing experience, not just for seeing these beautiful cats but also for the amount of time they spent with us. As for those who who like to pass judgement on my abilities or what I should have done, well, it's easy to do that from the relative safety of their couch.
@@TheOutdoorsGuy16 That's right, you did great, and really the only thing you could have done. Maybe if you would have mentioned at first the bridge was out at your end, some of people's dumb comments could have been avoided. :) I just was wondering if the bridge was out at your end, how were the cats going to cross? Could they have jumped across the length that it was out? Good place to set up a wild life camera?? Great film, thanks!
I wish I could see one. They are in my area but I've never seen one. Everglades Blvd, Naples.
There’s bear there though. I talked to a guy a month ago out there in the estates who said he’s seen two panthers on his land in 36 years time
@@loadedfun4764 On January 2nd my trail cam at the end of my driveway captured a huge panther. I still haven't seen one live. On the eve of January 1st my cam took a pic of a bobcat. Both walking past my driveway.
Good to see these guys they are under heavy threat of extinction due to development, parkways, and habitat destruction..maybe the next governor we get will be more concerned about protecting these beautiful and rare animals!
Agree with you. Also the sugar companies are part of the destruction of this forest.
I can’t see how having these animals around our children and elderly is good for our communities.
Private Information they were there before us and we just randomly move in and take their land it really is sad.. tbh basically the same thing we did to the Indians but I semi agree that we should defiently keep a watch on their growth to kept it in control
@@Biz2872 Your an idiot. People are building in wildlife habitat. You need to go, not them!
@@oppsrun1416 Humans are the most dangerous of animals, especially the stupid ones! :)
Awesome! What makes FL so amazing! All the wildlife! Long live the FP!
here in Canada we call these mountain lions.
Florida Panther is a subspecies of Mountain Lion, basically the name mostly depends upon what part of the country you live.
Was this to the west or east of SR29? And was there any specific park or trail you entered to get to that bridge?
This looks very much to me like the L-28 canal road quite east of Route 29 and just a few miles west of Snake Road. I see big cat prints there all the time and sometimes a strong smell of the male’s spray.
amazing footage...thumbs up....
"let us pass hooman"
Do you not have zoom on your camera
Had my old iphone and no chance to get a better camera without spooking them..
Are we allowed to carry a gun or rifle for protection?
This was on Federal land so the answer is no, you cannot carry a weapon, however you really do not need one, these animals truly want nothing to do with us and I'm not sure there has ever been a Florida Panther attack in the state....ever...
@@TheOutdoorsGuy16 Actually that's not true. Starting in 2010, the laws changed and you ARE ALLOWED to carry firearms in all federal parks with the exception of about twenty specific parks. However, a firearm IS NOT to be considered as protection from wildlife. Carrying a concealed firearm in a national park is governed by the state statues in the state the park is located. This law changed under the Obama administration, yet so many think Obama was out to take away your 2nd Ammendment right... When actually the tRump administration has done more against your 2nd Ammendment rights in three years than Obama did in his eight years! Facts matter! ;-)
Now I see why Florida named their nhl team the panthers never thought they were around all like that
Im glad you pointed at them there's no way i would have seen them cool video
How far across I-75 is that?
Very cool..👍
Majestic creatures.. You are so lucky
Do you guys in Florida just make up new names for Mountain Lion / Puma because you can, or is this a legitimate different species/sub-species?
@Grant Walker OK, so now an animal is different based on where you see it??? You can take the Mountain Lion out of the mountains, but you can't just take the mountain out of the Mountain Lion...
@Grant Walker I get it - not fighting with you ;) I'm genuinely interested whether it is a legitimate sub-species - have never heard of a "Florida Panther" before - I'm not from the States...
2:24 thank you for pointing, i could not see them until you pointed out at them.
rare picture of barkov and huberdeau off the ice
Collier. on the edge of Big Cypress
Our family saw one in Miramar, FL of all places, during lockdown during the pandemic. One of the incredible privileges that the pandemic brought us. Thank you for sharing your video ❤️
Looks like the L-28 Interceptor. If your a panther/nature fan, you might enjoy this song on the Florida Panther by singer/songwriter Bobby Angel: th-cam.com/video/Tqi6EwEgqcM/w-d-xo.html.
This is just AMAZING~!~~
Why thank you, thank you very much!
I believe the Cougars pissed on one side of the bridge, and you pissed on the other...
I am glad this did not go horribly wrong
It is what I do not understand because many people walk through forests and mountains if there are animals that can kill you.
People cross the street everyday and there is more danger in doing that. But you should always know what you're doing when you are out in the woods. Plus there has never been a documented attack on a human from a Florida panther
Why didn't you let them cross? All you had to do was walk away for a few minutes. They need to cross to eat all you're doing is fishing.
There's only 50 in the wild so thats crazy you saw 2 in person
a lot more than 50 over 300
There has never been a panther attack in the state of Florida
Maybe no one ever came back to tell about one !
would suck to be the first
none reported
Magnificente.
what county orage
Collier
They fly to Tampa at my house
I felt their growl in my headphones lol
How exactly?
You should have backed off and let them pass. Dumb move.
Not like he was gonna be there for hours stop crying
Never been lucky enough to see one
Damn! 😮 thats so cool!
Coolest outro on youtube
Zoom don't work I guess it might as well been a kitten couldn't tell
I would LOVE to have been there!
Awesome!!
Nice catch
Long live the FP!
So glad to see mating couples back when the population was terrible
Two youngens discovering life.