"It stayed for about 20 minutes and laid down for a bit," Hendra told the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. "It looked at us inside the window then slowly walked away, and we have not seen it since.”

His parents have lived in the home since 1988, and they have seen a younger panther in the area a few years ago, “but nothing compares to this once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Hendra said.

The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute documented the incident in a Facebook post .

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez