Second Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle this year
Image of a Florida panther (FOX 13/ File)
IMMOKALEE, Fla. - An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.
It’s the second panther death reported this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A total of 22 Florida panther deaths were reported in 2020, with 19 killed by vehicles.
The remains of the 2-year-old female panther were found Monday in Collier County on a rural road southeast of Immokalee, wildlife officials said.
FWC officials said the remains of a 3-year-old female panther were found Saturday in Lee County on a divided highway that leads to the Southwest Florida International Airport. They said the panther was also struck by a vehicle.
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.