Endangered Florida panther dies after being hit by car in Hendry County

FELDA, Fla. (AP) — An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the remains of a 9-year-old female panther were found Saturday in Felda in Hendry County.

The commission reported Monday the cause of death was a vehicle collision.

It's the 29th panther death in Florida this year. The vast majority of those animals died from being struck by vehicles.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeastern United States, 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.

Thirty panther deaths were recorded last year. Wildlife officials say that as the cats' population grows, their paths cross with human activity more often.

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