CCSO Community Service Deputy Brandi Ahrens had a close encounter of the panther kind this morning.CSD Ahrens was typing a report in her work vehicle along the CREW Bird Rookery Swamp public hiking trail off Shady Hollow Boulevard around 8:30 a.m. when she saw something moving out of the corner of her eye.It was a Florida panther, and it was heading her way. CSD Ahrens rolled up her window but managed to take a quick video in the process. The Florida panther is an endangered species and catching a glimpse of one in the wild is a rare experience. There are only 120 to 130 Florida panthers left in the wild, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Posted by Collier County Sheriff's Office on Friday, April 9, 2021