Florida breaks overall panther death record, ties road kill mark

Florida set a new record for documented panther deaths this week after two males were hit by cars and killed.

Thirty-five big cat deaths have been recorded this year, with 25 of those being road kills -- which ties a state record.

The Florida panther is one of the most endangered species on the planet, with FWC biologists estimating there are 100 to 180 in the wild. Although some people argue that a Texas cougar genetic introduction was the end of a “real” Florida panther, biologists say Florida cats and Texas cats exchanged genetics hundreds of years ago.

There are certainly more cats in Florida now than there have been in decades, and biologists say the higher number of overall deaths and road kills is partially due to the growing population.

The first of the two males died Monday and is thought to have been 8 to 10 months in age, with the second cat nearly 3 years old. The first cat was recovered at the intersection of Everglades Boulevard and Immokalee Road in Collier County. The second panther was recovered Tuesday along State Road 29 in Glades County.

The current federal panther recovery plan says there must be three separate populations of 240 individuals before the animal can be removed from the Endangered Species list. Two populations of 240 would be required to lower panthers from endangered to threatened.

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PANTHER

Puma concolor coryi

• Appearance: Long, tan with whitish fur underneath. Females weigh 70 to 100 pounds, with males weight 100 to 160 pounds.
• Range: Once common across the Southeastern United States, found mostly in preserves and farm lands south of Lake Okeechobee
• Diet: Strict carnivores, with 90 percent of diet coming from wild hogs, deer, raccoons and armadillos. Ambush predators that typically grab prey by the back of the neck. Can leap 15 feet.
• Reproduction: Females reproduce every two years or so, although females that lose kittens will readily mate again that same year. Litters typically range from one to four kittens, which stay with their mother for 18 months or more before searching out their own territory.

Sources: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service