36th critically endangered Florida panther death in 2024; struck by vehicle in Lee County

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Florida Panther
Cimarron, the Florida Panther at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary. CREDIT: Paul Dolan

A vehicle in Lee County claimed the life of a critically endangered Florida panther, marking the 36th death recorded in 2024.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission‘s Panther Pulse website, the 2-and-a-quarter-year-old male panther, identified as UCFP478, was killed on Thursday.

The location of the incident was on Bonita Beach Road, 0.7 miles east of Bonita Grande Drive.

Twenty-nine of the 36 panthers found dead in 2024 were due to vehicles; one was struck by a train, two were killed from predation, and four died from unknown causes.

The highest reported number of panther deaths happened in both 2015 and 2016, which are tied at 42 panther deaths.

This year remarks the second-highest recorded number of panther deaths since the record.

In August, a litter of kittens, one male and two females, was born at the Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest.

Unfortunately, the male and one female kitten were predated in Hendry County in early September, both at the Okaloacoochee Slough WMA.

In 2017, the FWC estimated the population size to be between 120 and 230; however, accurately determining the population is impossible because of constant births and deaths and the limitations of survey methods.

Panther Crossing sign. Credit: WINK News.
Panther Crossing sign. Credit: WINK News

According to FWC, vehicle collisions are the Florida Panthers’ primary cause of death.

Driving the posted speed limits, especially in Panther Crossing zones, can help keep Florida’s state animals safe.

Click here to learn more about panther crossing zones. 

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