Panthers and bobcats and bears

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission gets hundreds of calls every year from people claiming that they've spotted a panther, according to spokesperson Gary Morse.

"Believe it or not, the vast majority are bobcats," he said. "They fool a lot of people who aren't familiar with their size."

Spotting a panther in Florida is not uncommon. Spotting one in Highlands County is a little rarer.

"I know it's pretty low," said Wade Ulrey, with the Archbold Biological Station, adding that he had no real estimate on the number of panthers seen in the Heartland.

But that's not to say it doesn't happen.

Darrell Land, panther biologist with the FFWCC, said one was spotted about a month ago at the southern edge of the county line, between Lake Placid and Palmdale.

He also seconded that very few panthers in numbers are seen in Highlands County.

"Since the 1970s, we haven't verified any presence of females north of the Caloosahatchee River," Land said, adding that all panther breeding is south of LaBelle.

In fact, he said fewer than 20 male panthers are seen north of the Caloosahatchee.

The southwestern part of the state got some bad news on Thursday, as wildlife officials said a young panther died after being struck by a car, according to the Associated Press.

The 16- to 18-month-old cat was found early Thursday along a road near Immokalee. It's the 13th panther death this year, the AP reported. Scientists believe between 100 and 120 Florida panthers remain in the wild.

Another big cat

Although panther sightings are rare, a person wouldn't have to look too hard to come across a bobcat in Highlands County.

"(The) bobcat population is plenty healthy enough where it's not endangered," Morse said. "That species can be hunted."

Ulrey was again unable to give exact numbers for the local bobcat population, but said they are fairly common in the area.

"They're here at a much higher density than bears and cougars are," he said.

And what about those bears? Ulrey said Highlands County has the second-smallest population in the state.

"We think there's an estimated 100 to 150 (bears)," he said, adding that a survey will be conducted this summer to try and get a more accurate number.

These three animal species are carnivores, but Ulrey could not recall a documented attack in Florida.

Still, if a person were to come across one of them, there is a basic rule to follow and that is to stand your ground so you don't look like prey, according to Ulrey.

That will usually do the trick.

"Generally with a panther or bear, either one, as soon as they know you're there, they're going to run away," Ulrey said.