Officials say a Florida panther was killed by a vehicle on a southwest Florida highway.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that the 4-year-old female was found Friday after being hit by a vehicle on Interstate 75 in Collier County. The remains will be taken to a Gainesville facility for a necropsy.
This is the 27th Florida panther killed this year, the 18th 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.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
