Florida panther death in Hendry County is 16th this year

Naples

A Florida panther was found dead Wednesday in Hendry County.

The male panther, thought to be 9 months old, was hit by a car on County Road 833 just north of County Road 832 near Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest.

A pair of Florida panthers were captured last week by a camera trap set up on the north end of Corkscrew swamp in the CREW Land Trust lands. According to Darrell Land, the Florida Panther Team Leader for the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, they could be mating pair, but he couldn't say for sure because the photos don't show their gender.The FWC website says that mating pairs stay together for about a week. Births can occur at any time of year but are most common between March and July. The gestation period for kittens is 92-96 days. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission panther biologists estimate there are 120-230 adults and yearlings in Florida.

Of 16 Florida panther deaths this year, all were killed by a vehicle except for two that died of undetermined causes, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Nine panthers were male and seven were female.

The youngest panther to be found dead this year was a 4-month-old male hit by a vehicle in Collier County in February.

For more information, visit the Panther Pulse on the FWCC website.

Report injured or dead panthers to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

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