Endangered Florida Panther Struck, Killed By Vehicle

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A two-year-old endangered Florida panther was struck and killed by a vehicle on the state's west coast.

It's the third panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of four total deaths 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 male panther were found Thursday on a rural road in Lee County.

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.

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