Endangered Florida panther killed by another panther

Published:
Florida Panther
FILE: The Florida panther via a file photo from the U.S. Geological Survey/ photo by Larry Richardson/FILE.

An endangered Florida panther has been killed by another panther.

It’s the fourth fatality this year attributed to intraspecific aggression, out of 30 total panther deaths. Most deaths are caused by vehicle strikes.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the remains of the male panther were collected Tuesday on private property in Glades County.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeastern United States, 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.

Wildlife officials reported 42 panther deaths in 2016, including 34 fatal vehicle collisions in southwest Florida. That matched the 2015 record for panther deaths.

Seven panther litters with a total of 19 kittens have been documented this year.

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