On the prowl: Panthers targeting smaller cats in Collier County

GOLDEN GATE ESTATES, Fla. Panthers have become a regular sighting in Jim Swearingen’s backyard.

“I stopped the (surveillance) video and I found that not one but four panthers had gone through my yard,” he said.

The panthers are going after the 24 feral cats Swearingen is trying to take care of.

“Well, they are disappearing, and we believe it’s what FWC calls depredation, where the panthers are eating them,” he said.

Swearingen’s property is surrounded by a 5-foot-tall fence, but it’s not enough to keep the panthers at bay.

Erin Dauenhauer-Decota, who works with panthers at the Naples Zoo, says the big cats are everywhere.

“They are in people’s back yards,” she said. “They are on ranching land.”

Since panthers are considered endangered, it’s illegal to kill them. Their endangered status also means the water, plants and other animals they call home are protected.

But despite the panthers’ population growth, neighbors have little to be concerned about, according to Dauenhauer-Decota.

“They’re nervous about people,” she said. “If they see you, smell you or hear you, they’re going to go in the opposite direction.”

However, that still leaves smaller animals like Swearingen’s cats at risk, prompting him to consider taking action.

“You’ve got to really protect your animals,” Swearingen said. “You have to enclose them. Otherwise, its kind of useless against an animal that can jump 14 feet in the air.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking new information on panthers to help determine if the cats should stay endangered. Those who want to express their thoughts can do so on their website.