AVE MARIA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida panther has been struck and killed by a vehicle, the eighth fatal collision involving the endangered species.

A young Florida panther was struck and killed by a car on I-75 in Wesley Chapel — the first known panther death in Pasco County. Experts said it’s both tragic and hopeful, because the panther ...

A critically endangered Florida Panther has been killed by a vehicle in Pasco County, marking the first death recorded in that county. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation ...

It’s the first documented death of the Florida panther in Pasco County, north of Tampa, since record-keeping began in 2014, according to the Panther Pulse database.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) records state that a male panther, estimated to be 2-3 years old, was killed by a vehicle on Interstate-75 in Pasco County.

Since the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act passed in 2021, the state has saved millions of acres for development. But, the work to make people fall in love with animals and nature will never end.

A total of five Florida panthers have been found dead in 2017, with three road fatalities. Florida panthers once roamed the entire southeastern U.S., but only around 230 remain in the wild.

According to CREW, the female panther, identified as FP266, was initially captured and collared by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission scientists on Jan. 31, 2024, south of the CREW ...