Experts say paw prints sighted at Florida's Tomoka State Park belong to a panther -- a species that was driven from the area by development.

ADVERTISEMENT

John Lohde, a specialist with the parks service, concluded the 4-inch-by-4-inch prints could only belong to a panther, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported Thursday.

"We tend to take panther sightings with a grain of salt, but having tracks like this is critical to confirming he's here," Lohde said. "We're just as excited as we can be."

Darrell Land, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist and leader of the state's panther team, agreed with Lohde's identification.

"We have absolutely confirmed it is a panther," Land said.

Land said the animal may have wandered north from the Everglades -- a rare occurrence, but not unprecedented. A panther was killed in 2005 just north of the Flagler County line.