In LABELLE, Florida, authorities have announced the initial fatality of a rare Florida panther in 2024.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that a male, aged 1 year, was discovered deceased on Tuesday after being hit by a vehicle on a rural road north of LaBelle in Hendry County.

In 2023, a grand total of thirteen Florida panthers were reported as fatalities, with each one being the result of a collision with a vehicle.

The Florida panther used to inhabit the entire Southeast, but now they are mainly found in a limited area of Florida near the Gulf of Mexico.

There are currently 230 Florida panthers living in the wild.

Source: wral.com