"FLORIDA PANTHER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, Fla. — In January, an endangered Florida panther known as UCFP479 became the first to die this year in a vehicle collision along a rural southwestern Florida road.

The male panther, just under 2 years old, will not be the last.

 In 2024, 36 panther deaths were recorded by state wildlife officials, which was the most since 2016. The majority of those deaths are the result of collisions with vehicles, including one that was struck by a train, state statistics show.

An estimated 120 to 230 adult Florida panthers live in the wild in the state’s southwestern corner, where they are faced with a booming human population and the accompanying development."

Curt Anderson reports for the Associated Press March 1, 2025. [2]