An endangered Florida panther was dumped on road after it was killed, FWC says
A Florida panther was found dead on a Southwest Florida road, and authorities are offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the conviction of the animal’s killer.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation said Thursday that “evidence indicates that the panther was intentionally killed and partially mutilated” March 7 before being dumped along County Road 846, east of Immokalee in Collier County.
The dead panther was discovered March 8 during the opening weekend of the spring turkey hunting season in South Florida, the FWC said. The FWC then launched a criminal investigation.
A forensic examination of the panther carcass was conducted, and it is believed that it was “transported under cover of darkness and dumped in the area where it was recovered.”
Florida panthers are protected under the Endangered Species Act, and killing one is punishable by up to one year in federal prison and a fine of up to $100,000. The current population is 120 to 230, according to the FWC.
Anyone with information is asked to call the FWC’s 24-hour Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 or the USFWS tip line at 844-FWS-TIPS (844-397-8477).
For more information on Florida panthers, visit MyFWC.com/Panther.
