LAKE WALES, Fla. — A male Florida panther has been spotted on trail cameras in the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest four times now since the spring.

“He has that limp, which he has had every time he’s been sighted on the camera, but he has a really nice full belly, so it looks like he’s out there eating well,” described Lisa Smith, the animal care supervisor for ZooTampa.

ZooTampa helps to monitor the trail cameras, which belong to the F-Stop Foundation, a conservation nonprofit with more than 150 trail cameras throughout the state.

“It had been almost a year since we started working with F-Stop, so it was really, really exciting that we finally got that moment,” Smith said of the first sighting in April, which was followed by three more in August.

Loss of habitat is a big factor in the Florida panther’s decline. Considered critically endangered, it’s estimated that there are less than 240 left in the wild, which makes this video that much more exciting.

The F-Stop Foundation is able to set up its trail cameras through a special use permit with the Florida Forest Service, which helps the organization identify the locations for spotting wildlife.

“We are a long way away from them, unfortunately, coming off the endangered list. But every underpass that’s built, every area of land that is protected for the future, is a huge step in the right direction, Smith said.

One that will hopefully help the panthers regain lost habitat and lower the chances of them wandering into traffic or neighborhoods.

In the meantime, should a rescue be needed, ZooTampa is ready.