Officials: Florida Panther Struck And Killed By Vehicle

MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) - An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.

It's the seventh panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of seven total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The remains of the 1-year-old female panther were found Friday along a rural road southwest of Clewiston in Hendry County, wildlife officials said.

A total of 27 Florida panthers were found dead last year, with 21 deaths attributed to vehicles, according to state records. That was up from 22 total deaths in 2020.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeast, 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.

(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)