Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle

FORT MYERS, Fla. – An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.

It’s the sixth panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of nine total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The remains of the 1-year-old male panther were found Sunday on Alligator Alley in Collier County just a few miles east of the toll plaza, wildlife officials said.

On Friday, the remains of a male panther cub were found on private land near the Collier County landfill, officials said. The cause of death wasn't known.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeast, but now their habitat mostly is confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.