Two Florida panthers found dead on Lee and Highlands roads
Two panthers deaths were reported on the same day exactly one month ago, too.
Two endangered Florida panthers were found dead Thursday after getting hit by vehicles in Lee and Highlands counties.
The deaths continue a grisly trend for the iconic endangered species, which is on a record-setting pace for panther mortality with 25 total deaths reported so far this year, including 20 roadkill deaths. Two other wildcats were killed in fights with other panthers, and the causes of three deaths are listed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as unknown.
In 2015, the deadliest year for panthers, the FWC counted 42 panther deaths, of which 30 were blamed on vehicle collisions.
Two panther deaths reported in one day
In the most recent deaths, FWC biologists recovered the carcass of a 4-year-old female panther on Daniels Parkway in Lee County and recovered the carcass of a 2-year-old male panther on U.S. 27 in Highlands County, west of Lake Okeechobee. Neither panther had a tracking collar.
A growing Florida panther population is running out of room in Southwest Florida, prompting debate about how best to manage them. Scientists estimate the population at 180 panthers, up from fewer than 30 before a genetic restoration project in the 1990s.