Wildlife officials say a Florida panther died after being hit by a vehicle in southwest Florida.
The Naples Daily News reports the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission collected the remains of the female panther on Sunday and took it to the agency's research lab in Gainesville.
A necropsy was planned for Wednesday.
Officials say the panther was about two years old. It was not wearing a radio tracking collar. This was the 14th panther killed on Florida roads this year.
The official panther population is between 100 and 180. Officials say the rising number of vehicle strikes and other encounters with humans indicates that the current management plan isn't meeting its goals.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
