2 panthers killed in southwest Florida

Published:
MGN

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – Officials say two Florida panthers have been found dead from separate vehicle strikes in southwest Florida.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that a 3-year-old male’s body was found Wednesday on Interstate 75 near the Luckett Road exit in Lee County, and then another 3-year-old male was found the same day on Immokalee Road in Collier County. The remains will be taken to a Gainesville facility for a necropsy.

A total of 14 Florida panthers have been found dead in 2016, with 12 road fatalities.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire southeastern U.S., but only around 180 remain in the wild.

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