Officials: Florida panther dies after fight with other cat

An endangered Florida panther has died following a fight with another panther.

It’s the third panther death reported this year, the first from intraspecific aggression, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. A total of 22 Florida panther deaths were reported in 2020, with 19 killed by vehicles.

An injured 2-year-old male panther was found Monday in Glades County near the Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area, wildlife officials said. The cat was transported to an emergency care facility but eventually succumbed to his injuries.

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.