30 Florida panthers killed so far this year, most of them by vehicles
Five of the endangered felines died in the last month
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The endangered Florida panther is becoming increasingly rare by the day.
This comes on the heels of a panther being struck and killed by a vehicle on Nov. 22, which marks the 30th death of its kind this year in the Sunshine State. According to CBS News, the number of panthers that have died has more than doubled compared to last year.
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It’s certainly the highest death toll for the endangered feline since 2018, says the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
So why all the deaths?
A majority of panthers lost their life due to being struck by vehicles, with five in the past month alone, CBS News reported. Earlier this year, one panther was killed after being hit by a train.
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According to Panther Crossing, a non-profit awareness campaign operated by the Naples Zoo, at least 239 Florida panthers have been killed in vehicular collisions in the last decade.
The state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has repeatedly issued warnings to motorists to slow down in areas in South Florida where panthers are known to inhabit.
It’s believe there are between 120 to 230 Florida panthers left in the wild, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection noted. Besides vehicles, the panther’s population was greatly reduced thanks to hunting, the National Wildlife Federation stated.
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