2 endangered Florida predators found dead 2 days apart. 35 have been killed this year

Olivia Lloyd, The Charlotte Observer on Dec 26, 2024

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Two highly endangered Florida panthers were found dead from vehicle strikes only two days apart, closing out a particularly deadly year for the species.

The first panther, a 2½-year-old male, was found dead Dec. 21 in rural Highlands County, according to the Panther Pulse database maintained by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Then on Dec. 23, a 4-year-old male was discovered dead from a collision on Interstate 75 in Collier County, bringing the yearly death toll to 35.

This has been the deadliest year for the iconic Florida state animal since 2016, McClatchy News previously reported.

With only about 120 to 230 panthers estimated to be left in the wild, the species is facing an uphill battle against threats such as vehicle strikes, which are the panthers’ leading cause of death, according to the FWC.

Florida panthers roam across a wide range of land, with males sometimes claiming 200 square miles of territory, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says. When roads break up the panthers’ natural habitat, the animals are more susceptible to vehicle collisions.

While the species faces troubles from vehicle strikes, habitat loss and a feline neurological disorder, biologists wrote in a recent report that “there are also positive indicators.”

“The FWC has documented notable improvements in population genetics and multiple detections of female panthers with kittens north of the Caloosahatchee River, providing clear evidence of breeding in Central Florida,” according to authors of the 2023-2024 annual report on the species.

While experts say the “core population” mostly lives south of Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee River, two recent deaths in Hardee County and Highlands County illustrate that some panthers live north of that range as well.

To report a sick or injured panther, contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

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