MIAMI – A Florida panther running free, back in her natural habitat, after being saved from the brink of death. It's one of the most stunning sights in nature, rarely ever witnessed.
The courageous cat, with long, strong legs and a healed, muscular body, was released back into the wild after nearly a year of rehabilitation.
The elusive and rarely seen large cat got hit by a car last May, when she was just a 9-month-old kitten.
Thanks to a phone call made to Florida Fish and Wildlife from a Golden Gates Estates homeowner who saw the panther in his backyard, wildlife officials were able to save the panther, performing several surgeries to repair her broken leg and help heal her bruised ribs.
The panther then spent 10 months at a conservation facility, Cypress National Preserve. That gave an endangered animal another chance at life and, perhaps, a future as a mother.