GOLDEN GATE ESTATES, Fla. — Two endangered Florida panther deaths have been reported in the past week.
That makes five deaths reported this year, three of which were from vehicle strikes.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the remains of a 2-year-old male were collected Tuesday off Golden Gate Boulevard in Collier County. The cause of death was a vehicle collision.
Wildlife officials say a 12-year-old female's remains were found Friday in Big Cypress National Preserve. The cause of death wasn't known.
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.
