Panthers are unpredictable creatures, which is why you should never approach them in the wild or depend on them to babysit your pet squirrel. Have a brush with the animal kingdom with this Groupon.

Choose from Three Options

• $11 for a wilderness eco-tour for one (up to a $22 value)
• $22 for a wilderness eco-tour for two (up to a $44 value)
• $40 for a wilderness eco-tour for four (up to an $88 value)<p>

Passengers board converted school buses for wheeled treks through the preserve’s four defined ecosystems; a freshwater marsh, prairie, pine forest, and the 10,000-acre Telegraph Cypress Swamp. Guides may point out endangered animals such as fox squirrels, wood storks, and Florida panthers—which passengers may observe up close without the hassles of dressing up like a rock. Participants may also have an up-close meeting with Saylow, the preserve’s resident 19-year-old southern cougar. During each tour, guides divulge a history of the founding Babcock family and discuss the flora and fauna within each ecosystem. Buses make a stop at the swamp boardwalk, where visitors can disembark and walk over swamp territory before re-boarding.