Florida panther's morning snooze near home's stairwell ends with safe capture, sheriff says

A Florida panther was caught snoozing near a home in Bonita Springs earlier this week. 

The big cat was spotted Monday morning in the Bonita National Golf & Country Club neighborhood, according to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno. Bonita Springs Community Policing deputies responded to the home after residents reported a Florida panther sleeping near a stairwell behind shrubs. 

Photo: Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno

The Lee County Sheriff's Office contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which arrived to the area and safely removed the panther. 

Marceno shared photos on X, formerly known as Twitter, of officials removing the big cat. 

Photo: Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno

The panther will be evaluated for a health screening. 

Florida panthers, a native cat species of the Sunshine State, are mostly found south of Lake Okeechobee. It's illegal to harm or harass the endangered species in any way, according to the FWC. There are about 120-230 adult Florida panthers in the population. 

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