Panther sighting

A Florida panther was in our yard Tuesday night.  He/she was being very vocal over the weekend in the wee hours of the night.  I thought some critter was being mauled, but the sounds were that of a female looking for a boyfriend (will post a link to the recordings from a Florida Wildlife Commission education site) later.

Sure enough I found tracks in our yard and our neighbor to the south had a clear visual sighting.  

Wildlife abounds still in our part of the world.  Some of it is pushed in closer to home because land is being developed.  While I am happy to know we are so near to nature, the sighting brings about a whole new sense of caution regarding our dog.  While never out alone, I will make sure I have a way keep any risk away.  Since panthers are very shy around humans, sometimes a noisemaker is more than enough.