A Florida panther was killed by a vehicle Sunday, continuing a year that has begun very badly for the endangered cats, according to a report published in the Sun-Sentinel of South Florida.
The male panther, with an estimated age of five or six years, was crossing Interstate 75 in Collier County when he was hit, becoming the fourth panther killed by a vehicle this month. Last year, a record 24 panthers were killed by vehicles, and this year appears to be shaping up to be no better, the Sun-Sentinel reported.
Darrell Land, panther team leader for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said the deaths reflect the growing number of panthers in the state. From a low of two or three dozen in the early 1970s, the panther has rebounded, with an estimated 100 to 180 prowling the swamps and forests of southern Florida.
Three were killed on I-75 in Collier and Lee counties, and the fourth killed on Immokolee Road in Collier County. The most recent collision was so severe that the car sustained significant damage and the airbags deployed, Land told the Sun-Sentinel.
