So, it seems possible that these lovely, oversized housecats called "jaguarundi" inhabit this area - it's reported that Florida does have a population. My husband and I think we saw one run across the road last week. It was either one of the above-pictured, less fearsome jaguarundi or it was one of these lovely things:
However, we think that less likely since it wasn't nearly that big. It could have been a young panther, though, which are dark and/or spotted (this cat was definitely dark, dark brown or black). As far as we have been able to ascertain through research, there isn't much difference between the Florida panther and the California puma we were all taught to fear with stories of devoured joggers and hikers. According to Wikipedia, the Ave Maria settlement was controversial because of the unusually high concentration of Florida jaguars living in this spot.
Fuuuuuuuuunnnn . . .
Now, between these big, hungry kitties and these lovely beasts:
(a fellow graduate student, just yesterday morning, happened upon one about 10 feet long in the swamp behind our new townhomes - oh JOY) we've decided that we're not getting any munchable, outdoor pets and we're never letting the children play outside unattended.
NEVER.
2 comments:
ok, that settles it. You're coming home right now young lady. Do NOT call me while walking around the campus at night any more!
I could've lived my whole life without this information, ya know?
Uuuuuh, calm down, Mom. Alligators stay scared of full-grown humans until someone starts feeding them, from all accounts. When it becomes known that someone's been feeding some gator the local department in charge of that comes out and kills the thing immediately (that's what happened to the REALLY big one they used to have in the swamp over near the Student Union bldg. - the construction workers had been feeding it, evidently).
There's also never been much fear of the Florida panther, from all accounts - at least not for full-sized humans. I wouldn't trust any of these animals with something small and edible, though, like a dog or a cat. Many of the professors are very unhappy about the home-owners' associations that come with their new homes here in Ave town, though, because they won't allow them to install fences, and what with all the water so near it makes it impossible for the kids (and Fido)to play in the yard. Hopefully someone's arm can be twisted into getting that changed.
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