FORT MYERS (CBSMiami/AP) — Over the past week, three endangered Florida panthers have died after being struck by vehicles.
The remains of a 2-year-old male panther were found Monday on a rural road near Alva in Lee County, wildlife officials said. The remains of a 10-month-old female panther were found Saturday on a divided highway near the Southwest Florida International Airport in Lee County. The remains of a 2-year-old female panther were found last Tuesday near Fish Eating Creek Wildlife Management Area in Glades County.
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They’re the 12th, 13th, and 14th panther deaths attributed to fatal collisions, out of 14 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.)
