14% of Florida panther vehicle strikes happened on State Road 29 since 2018

Author: Paul Dolan Writer: Paul Dolan
Published: Updated:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says an endangered Florida panther died after a vehicle strike along State Road 29 on Wednesday.

According to FWC’s Panther Pulse, the 1-year-old male panther was the 17th reported Florida panther death of 2024. Of the 17 Florida panther deaths in 2024, 13 are the result of vehicle collisions. FWC says that vehicle strikes are the most common cause of death for the State Animal of Florida.

The feline was hit on State Road 29 just north of New Market Road in Immokalee.

“State Road 29 has always been an area for panther vehicle mortalities since it bisects some of the best panther habitat in South Florida,” FWC said.

State Road 29 is a recurring road on which panthers are struck by vehicles.

Florida panther
Male panther at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by FWS, 2018.

Since 2018, 17 panthers have been struck on State Road 29. In that same span of time Panther Pulse has reported 144 total panther deaths. That means that nearly 12% of all reported panther deaths have happened on State Road 29.



However, of the 144 total panther deaths since 2018, 121 were due to a vehicle strike. This means more than 14% of all panther vehicle strikes happen on one road, State Road 29.

“Since 2018, we have documented 13 panther road mortalities on SR29 between US41 and SR82.  Ten of those have been on SR29 north of the Panther Refuge,” said FWC.

One way wildlife officials try to reduce cars crashing into wildlife is by adding wildlife crossings, underpasses or fencing to an area.

“There are 60 wildlife crossings or bridges that have been modified for use by panthers on Florida’s roads,” FWC’s website says.

Florida panthers
CREDIT: CBS News

FWC says these tools have helped on State Road 29 too.

“Fencing with wildlife underpasses on SR29 within the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and south along Big Cypress National Preserve have assisted with preventing enumerable panther vehicle collisions since those features were installed. Areas north of FPNWR are not currently fenced and do not have wildlife underpasses,” said FWC.

Panther Crossing is an organization pushing for roads to be safer to keep the endangered species safe.

“Panther activity is greatest between dusk and dawn when visibility is lowest. 45 mph nighttime speed zones exist where panthers are known to frequently cross roads,” says the Panther Crossing website.

While State Road 29 is a hot spot for Florida panther vehicle strikes, it isn’t the only hot spot.

“We’ve documented eight panther vehicle mortalities since 2018 on SR82 at the intersection of Corkscrew Rd. I believe that section of road is slated to have some wildlife underpasses installed along with fencing in the near future,” said FWC.

The endangered species faces several threats that may jeopardize its future, including development, feline leukomyelopathy (FLM), and vehicle strikes. There are between 120 and 230 adult Florida panthers left in the wild.

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