First endangered Florida panther death of 2024 reported

LABELLE, Fla. — Wildlife officials have reported the first endangered Florida panther death of 2024.

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The 1-year-old male was found dead Tuesday from an apparent vehicle strike on a rural road north of LaBelle in Hendry County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said.

A total of 13 Florida panthers were reported killed in 2023, with all of them being from vehicle strikes.

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Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeast. But now their habitat is mostly confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico.

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Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.

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