Florida panther caught napping at country club

Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Deputies responded to a Florida country club to help eject an unusual trespasser: a panther taking a nap near a stairwell.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that Bonita Springs Community Policing Deputies responded to Bonita National Country Club on a report of a Florida panther sleeping behind some shrubs located near a stairwell.

The deputies contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and personnel responded to the scene.

The panther was taken into custody by the FWC, which said it will be returned to its natural habitat after undergoing a veterinary examination.

The FWC's website states Florida panthers are listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act, with only about 120-230 adult panthers believed to currently live across Florida and parts of Georgia.