FWC: Panther shot, killed in Collier County

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla.- The body of an endangered Florida panther was found near Immokalee Road and Camp Keais Road.

At first, it looked like the panther had been hit by a car but more than a month later, officials say that’s not what happened.

The panther was found back in March. At the time, FWC officials believe the male panther was killed by a car but a necropsy found it had actually been shot.

It’s the 12th dead panther officials had documented since the start of 2015.

At the time, wildlife officials said it was the ninth panther to have been killed on the roads, but the panther was actually the first known to have been killed this year by a bullet.

The men who work in the nearby farms and groves where the panther carcass was found didn’t want to go on camera. They tell WINK News the panther population is thick in the Immokalee fields where they work.

They say it’s no longer unusual for them to see panthers roaming throughout the groves and they understand why not everyone would want them around.

Wildlife officials are offering a $5,000 reward for information on the person who killed the panther.

If convicted, the killer could face up to a $100,000 fine and a year in prison.