My Encounter with Florida's State Animal

I stopped dead in my track the moment I saw it. My eyes widened and I inhaled deeply, shocked at what stood in front of me. I almost didn't notice it because the brim of my hat was blocking out the sunlight, and apparently some of my vision. Slowly, I reached for my phone in my back pocket, not wanting to miss a photo moment. I had only been on Deer Run Trail for less than five minutes when I saw it, only 70 yards away from me. It was just sitting there, in the middle of the hiking trail with its head to the ground. Its sandy fur was tight and smooth over its muscular shoulders. I pulled up the camera on my phone, turning my gaze away only for a second. As I looked up, I realized that I was being watched. The Florida panther knew he was no longer alone. 

I calmly began to take small steps backwards, watching the panther while reviewing my surroundings. The woods were sparse on one side, where you could clearly see the main road for the state park, while the other side was heavily wooded. I knew that, if the time came for it, I would run towards the road. After a few steps back, the panther took a few steps towards me. I could feel the adrenaline in my body begin to rise. I took a few, quicker, steps back and stepped on a fallen branch. The sound of it's snapping echoed through the pines. 

My adrenaline kicked into full speed as the panther started coming faster and faster towards me. I turned quickly and ran for the main road as fast as I could, not looking behind me. I could hear the faint sound of the panther's paw on the sand, but I was not sure how slow or how fast it was going. The only thing on my mind was getting to the road. After running across sand, through small cactus's and finally reaching the middle of the road, I looked behind me, still running, and notice that the panther is no where to be found. I stopped, stood in the middle of the road and looked all around me. The panther was gone. 

Not wanting to return to the trail I crossed paths with the panther on, I continued to cross the road and  went onto a connecting trail. Here is where I proceeded to catch my breath, lower my heart rate and call fellow Traveler, Rachel, and tell her all about my crazy adventure that Sunday afternoon. 

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