Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle in Lee County

Credit: WINK News.

An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle in east Lee County.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports the remains of the 2-year-old male panther were found Thursday near Wild Turkey Strand Preserve off Rod and Gun Club Road, south of SR-82.

It’s the fourth panther death this year and the third attributed to fatal collisions. Two of those were in Lee County and one in Collier County. A fourth was killed in a fight with another panther in Glades County, according to the FWC.

A total of 22 Florida panther deaths were reported in 2020, with 19 killed by vehicles.

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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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