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20th panther death of year caused by car recorded in Naples

Florida Panther FWC.jpg
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NAPLES, Fla. — An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.

It’s the 20th panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of 22 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The remains of the 6-month-old female panther were found Monday along a rural road in Collier County, wildlife officials said.

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.

Panther mortality report as of 9/7:

Data provided by FWC
Date Discovered
AgeSexCause of DeathCountyLocation
2209/05/20226 monthsFVehicleCollierRattlesnake Hammock Rd
2108/23/20222MVehicleLeeJoel Blvd./Edwards Dr. Lehigh Aces
2007/21/20222FVehicleCollierI-75, MM89
1907/12/20228FVehicleCollierImmokalee Rd, near Bethune Ave
1807/09/20224FVehicleCollierImmokalee Rd, 2km south of Wild Turkey Dr
1705/23/20225 monthsFUnknownCollierNortheast Naples
1605/20/20223 yrsMVehicleCollierUS41 5 miles SE of CR951
1505/19/20222.5 monthsFUknownCollierSoutheast Naples
1405/16/20222MVehicle CollisionLeeGoggin Rd, 760m south of SR80
1305/14/202210 moFVehicle CollisionLeeTreeline Ave
1205/10/20222FVehicleGladesUS27 at Fisheating Creek
1104/17/20222.5MVehiclePolkPolk Pkwy 100m south of US92
1004/11/20224FVehicleGladesSR29, 3.5km north of SR78
903/27/20221.5FVehicleHendryCR833, 1.8km N of Seminole Reservation
802/28/20221.5MVehicleCollierSR82, 1.2km east of Corkscrew Rd.
702/18/20221.5FVehicleHendryFlaghole Rd, 3.9km South of US27
602/08/20225MVehicleHendryCR832, 260m west of Collins Slough Rd.
501/31/20222.5FVehicleCollierI-75, MM100
401/28/20223FVehicleCollierCarson Rd. Immokalee, FL
301/15/20222 moMVehicleCollierGolden Gate Blvd.
201/09/20223MVehicleGladesUS27, 2.6km SE of junction with SR29
101/02/20222.5MVehicleCollierCollier Blvd

FWC statistics show [PDF] 21 panther deaths were recorded by this date in 2021; a total of 27 deaths were recorded in the entire year.

Of those 27, 21 involved vehicles; two deaths were of unknown causes, two by "intraspecific aggression" (attack or fighting with another animal), and two by starvation.

Since 2017, there have been between 22-30 panther deaths recorded in the state:

panther death 2017-2021

The Associated Press contributed to this report.