An endangered Florida predator — a 10-year-old female — is hit and killed by vehicle
A rare Florida panther was fatally struck by a vehicle in southwest Florida, the second documented vehicle death in as many months.
The female, believed to be 10 1/2 years old, was found dead Feb. 24 in Hendry County, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Panther Pulse database. She died on County Road 833, also known as Josie Billie Highway, just north of the Big Cypress Reservation of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
This year has started off a little better for the highly endangered Florida panther than 2024, when five panthers were killed in the first five weeks of the year, records show.
By the end of the year, 36 panthers had died, the vast majority from vehicle strikes, McClatchy News previously reported. It was the deadliest year for the species since 2016.
While vehicle strikes are the leading cause of death for Florida panthers, comprising about 60% of all documented deaths, it’s relatively uncommon for panthers as old as this one to be killed by a vehicle, according to researchers. Panthers older than 4 made up only about 20% of vehicle strike fatalities from 1972 to 2017, the FWC said.
Only four of the 36 panthers that died in 2024 were 10 or older, Panther Pulse records show.
“Female kittens have a good chance of living 10 years or more,” the FWC said. “Males have a tougher time, but if they survive to five or six years old, they are likely to live even longer to 10 or more years.”
Males and young panthers are particularly at risk of death from vehicle strikes, research shows.
But one specimen captured recently goes to show that male panthers can fare well in older age. A roughly 10-year-old panther weighing 166 pounds that was tracked down by dogs in January broke the record for heaviest panther ever documented, McClatchy News reported.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 5:48 PM with the headline "An endangered Florida predator — a 10-year-old female — is hit and killed by vehicle."