A 2-year-old Florida panther is released into the wild by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on April 3, 2013 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The panther and its sister had been raised at the White Oak Conservation Center since they were 5 months old. The FWC rescued the two panthers as kittens in September 2011 in northern Collier County after their mother was found dead. The panther is healthy and has grown to a size that should prepare him for life in the wild. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
LABELLE (CBSMiami/AP) — A year-old female endangered Florida panther died after it was struck by a vehicle.
The panther’s remains were found Sunday along a rural road near Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management Area in Hendry County, wildlife officials said.
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It’s the ninth panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of the nine total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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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.
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(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
