Two Florida panthers found dead from separate vehicle strikes

NAPLES, Fla. - Two endangered Florida panthers have been found dead from apparent vehicle strikes just days apart after more than a month with no deaths reported.

They’re the 10th and 11th panther deaths attributed to fatal collisions, out of 12 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The remains of a 2-year-old male panther were found Sunday in Collier County on a rural road near Golden Gate, wildlife officials said. A 3-year-old male was found dead Friday near Immokalee. The last panther found before that was March 8, according to state records.

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.