Fourth endangered Florida panther death reported in two weeks, all struck by vehicles

For the fourth time in two weeks, a dead endangered Florida panther was reported by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

According to FWC’s Panther Pulse, a 10-year-old male Florida panther, identified as FP255, was struck by a vehicle on County Road 850, about a half-mile south of State Road 82 in Lee County.

This is the fourth dead Florida panther FWC has reported in 2024. In 2023, FWC reported the fourth dead panther on May 26.

The previous three deaths occurred in Hendry County, FP255 is the first reported death in Lee County in 2024. This is also the first reported death in Lee County since Aug. 23, 2022, when the panther was also struck by a vehicle.

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“Moving forward, the greatest hurdle to recovery for the Florida panther remains the conservation of sufficient habitat to allow the population to increase in size and expand beyond south Florida,” says FWC. “Our genetic management success with panthers also should prove useful to other conservation projects worldwide that deal with small, inbred, isolated populations.”

According to FWC, some of the biggest threats facing Florida panthers are the conservation of sufficient habitats, vehicles, and genetic viability.

Since 2020, there have been 20 dead panthers discovered in the month of January. The most reported deaths occurred in 2020, when FWC reported six deaths.

Following Monday’s reported death, 27 reported panther deaths in a row can be attributed to vehicle collisions. Vehicle strikes account for 57 of the last 60 reported panther deaths dating back to early 2021.

“Young males in search of their own territories have been documented in other parts of Florida, but most of the breeding population remains restricted to south Florida, below the Caloosahatchee River,” says FWC.

FP255 is the oldest panther death reported by FWC since Sept. 28, 2021, when a panther between 10 and 12 years old was the victim of another vehicle collision. Interestingly, that panther was also struck in Lee County, and neither was far from State Road 82.

Typically, FWC reports between 22 and 27 panther deaths annually. However, in 2023, FWC reported 13 total deaths. Nevertheless, it’s unclear if this is an ominous sign or if it is meaningful at all.

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Florida panther was officially listed as endangered in 1967.

“A common misconception held by some people is the 1995 genetic restoration with Texas pumas has eliminated the “pure” Florida panther,” says FWC. “However, before becoming artificially isolated through unregulated hunting and habitat loss, the Florida panther interbred with the eastern cougar to the north and Texas puma to the west. This mixing of genes is what kept all the panther populations healthy, including the original pre-Columbian Florida panther.”

FWC reports there are between 120 and 230 adult panthers remaining in the population. The state animal of Florida has seen far grimmer circumstances in the past. The species, teetering on extinction, was estimated to be ten panthers at one point says U.S. Fish & Wildlife.

FWC says, “If you see a sick, injured or dead Florida panther, or if you experience a panther depredation, you can report online or call 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922). Cell phone users can also call #FWC, or send a text to Tip@MyFWC.com.”

Click here to learn more about Florida panthers from FWC.

Click here to learn how you can help protect the species from Panther Crossing.

Click here to learn about living with Florida panthers.