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Florida Panther Killed In Road Strike; 35 Found Dead This Year

A female Florida panther with a cub. Wildlife officials say they've found one dead from a vehicle strike in Southwest Florida. (Photo courtesy Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)
A female Florida panther with a cub. Wildlife officials say they've found one dead from a vehicle strike in Southwest Florida. (Photo courtesy Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

FORT MYERS — Wildlife officials say they've found the remains of a 6-month-old male Florida panther along a road in Southwest Florida.

In a news release sent Monday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the panther was killed by a vehicle on Friday.

The remains were taken to Gainesville for a necropsy.

So far this year, 35 Florida panthers have been found dead. The agency says 27 deaths were road fatalities.

Officials say only about 180 Florida panthers remain in the wild.

The Associated Press is a wire service to which WUFT News subscribes.