FWC: 3 Florida panthers struck and killed by vehicles in one week

Spotted: 'Healthy' panther kittens roam with mom in Florida wildlife refuge

Two young panthers were seen roaming the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge with their mom, 'Broketail.' So far, wildlife officials say the kittens appear healthy, showing no visible signs of the mysterious disorder that have been impacting Florida's wild cats.

BIG CYPRESS, Fla. - Three endangered Florida panthers were killed by separate vehicle strikes earlier this week, officials said.

That makes 18 panther deaths attributed to fatal collisions, out of 24 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The remains of a 4-month-old male panther were found Tuesday within Big Cypress National Preserve in Collier County, and a 3-year-old male was found dead the same day on the western edge of the park, wildlife officials said.

Also Tuesday, the remains of a 10-year-old female were found just north of Southwest Florida International Airport in Lee County.

Within just the first week of the year, a 3-year-old female panther and a 2-year-old female panther died after they were struck by a vehicle.

READ: Two ‘healthy’ panther kittens spotted in Florida wildlife refuge show no visible signs of mystery illness: FWS

Florida panthers once roamed the entire southeast, but now their habitat mostly is confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.

Last week, state wildlife officials said two panther kittens with their mother were captured on trail camera video in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. They appeared to be healthy and showed no visible signs of the unknown disorder affecting the Florida's wild cats.

From 2020: Mysterious panther disorder may be worse than thought

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed the condition is not just contained to South Florida and could be a widespread issue.

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The disease is called feline leukomyelopathy (FLM), and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission experts continue to investigate it. The affected animals have different degrees of rear leg weaknesses. The cause has not yet been determined.

Anyone who has photos or video showing wildlife that appear to have problems with their rear legs is asked to submit the content to MyFWC.com/PantherSightings. Dead or injured panthers can be reported to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922)

The Associated Press contributed to this report