Panther Dies After Being Hit By Car In Florida

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NAPLES, Fla. (CBSMiami/ AP) —Authorities said a Florida Panther was killed by a vehicle in southwest Florida, making it the eighth panther death this year.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that the 9-year-old radio collared male was found dead Wednesday in rural Collier County, on State Route 29, nearly 3 miles south of Interstate 75. The remains will be taken to a Gainesville facility for a necropsy.

This is the sixth panther to be killed by a vehicle strike.

Florida set a record last year with 25 road kills and 33 overall deaths.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire southeastern U.S., but only around 180 remain in the wild.

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