An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.
It’s the seventh panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of seven total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The remains of the 1-year-old female panther were found Friday along a rural road southwest of Clewiston in Hendry County, wildlife officials said.
A total of 27 Florida panthers were found dead last year, with 21 deaths attributed to vehicles, according to state records. That was up from 22 total deaths in 2020.
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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.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
