Two rare apex predators killed less than a week apart by vehicles in Florida

Two rare animals in Florida died within days of each other from vehicle collisions in nearly back-to-back blows for the endangered species.

A male Florida panther estimated to be 4 to 5 years old was found dead March 10 on State Road 29 in Collier County, according to records from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Only four days earlier, a 1-year-old male panther died from a vehicle strike in Lee County, McClatchy News reported at the time.

That brings the year’s total to four panther deaths so far, but three occurred in the span of three weeks, the FWC’s Panther Pulse database shows. The year is starting out better for the species than 2024, when six panthers died in the same period.

Half the deaths last year occurred in Collier County, records show.

Florida panthers are one of two big cat species native to the state and the last remaining subspecies of puma that lives east of the Mississippi River, according to the FWC.

Male panthers have a territory of up to 200 square miles, according to wildlife experts, which inevitably brings them into contact with roads, leading to fatal interactions. Vehicle strikes are the leading cause of death for the species.

The latest death was discovered just outside Immokalee, about a 50-mile drive northeast from Naples.

To report a sick or dead Florida panther, you can call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-3922.

This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Two rare apex predators killed less than a week apart by vehicles in Florida."