Endangered Florida panther hit, killed by vehicle

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Another endangered Florida panther has been struck and killed by a vehicle.

It’s the 23rd fatal collision this year, of 28 total panther deaths. Biologists will study the panther’s remains.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the male panther’s remains were found Thursday on a parkway east of Interstate 75 in Lee County. Officials say the panther was 2 years old.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeastern United States but now their habitat mostly is confined to southwest Florida. Only about 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.

The agency said 42 panthers were killed in 2016, with 34 being hit by vehicles in southwest Florida. It matched the 2015 record for panther deaths.