On January 25, a resident on the resort walked her guests out to their cars after a nice dinner. As she said bye and looked down the road she saw a slender animal walking away into the shadows with a very distinct sway to it's walk and a long fluffy tail which turned up just before it touched the ground. Know what the animal is yet?
Florida Panthers have been known to roam Amelia Island occationally. Sightings occur about a few times a year, mostly at Fort Clinch, and pictures rarely turn up. Florida Panthers are native to all of Florida but are more commonly found in the Everglades and surrounding areas. In the sand at the top of the Sunken Forest, you can see proof of his appearance on the resort. Following a trail of raccoon foot prints, a distinct set of paw prints can be seen.
The resort doesn't have much roaming area for a panther or enough big game for him to hunt so he will probably didn't stick around long, but it's always spectacular to see this beautiful endangered species still survives!