Officials: Endangered Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. - An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.

It's the 13th panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of 15 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The remains of the 4-month-old female panther were found Thursday in Lee County on a rural road near Lehigh Acres, wildlife officials said.

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.