PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Two Florida Panthers Killed By Vehicles

Florida Panther
Photo courtesy IFAS
Florida Panther

Two female Florida panthers, including one pregnant with two babies, have died after being hit by cars in Southwest Florida last week.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says an 11-month-old panther died last week in Lee County and 5-year-old panther died just a few days before that in Collier County.

The 5-year-old panther was pregnant with two babies.

The wildlife agency says 17 panthers have been killed, if the fetuses are counted, so far this year, and most of the deaths have been by vehicles.

Last year, 30 deaths were reported.

The Florida panther has been on the endangered list for more than 50 years.

The National Wildlife Foundation estimates there are only 120 to 130 Florida panthers left in the wild.

Copyright 2020 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7. To see more, visit .

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
Associated Press