5 endangered Florida panthers found dead in the last month
The state animal of Florida, the Florida Panther has been listed on the federal endangered species list since 1967 and on the state endangered list since 1973, according to the Florida Department of State.
FILE: Panthers caught on video strolling in South Florida
A Florida panther and her three offspring walk through the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Southwest Florida on January 4, 2015. (From the FWC/ Brian Hampton)
Over the past month, five Florida panthers have been struck and killed by vehicles in South Florida, according to the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The state animal of Florida, the Florida panther has been on the federal endangered species list since 1967 with only 120-230 adult panthers left in the wild.
This year, 35 panthers have been found dead, and five of those deaths have occurred since Nov. 29. FFWCC officials said the two most recent deaths were discovered within two days of each other.
A healthy Florida panther is seen on display at the Palm Beach Zoo on August 22, 2019 in Palm Beach, Florida.
(Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
The five most recent deaths were of male panthers between the ages of 7-8 months and 9 years, the FFWCC said. They were discovered in Collier, Highlands, Hardee and Glades Counties.
This year’s deaths are the most discovered since 2016, when 42 of the panthers were found dead.
Florida panthers are one of the state’s two native cat species, with bobcats being the other, according to officials.
The animals live throughout the state and into parts of Georgia, the FFWCC said. However, most of the cats are found south of Lake Okeechobee in southern Florida.