1-year-old endangered Florida predator killed by a vehicle when crossing road

A 1-year-old Florida panther was hit and killed by a vehicle amid a string of young panther deaths this year, officials say.

Four out of the six endangered Florida panthers that have died in 2025 were under the age of 2, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The young male was found dead May 1 near Immokalee in Collier County, the FWC’s Panther Pulse database shows.

Young panthers, and males in particular, are susceptible to fatal vehicle strikes. Biologists found that about 70% of panthers killed by vehicle strikes — the leading cause of death for the species — are less than 3 years old.

“Males have larger home ranges than females, and their ranges often include roads,” according to the FWC. “Young male panthers searching for their own ranges often end up crossing roads more frequently than adult panthers. This places them at a greater risk of colliding with a vehicle.”

At the 1-year mark, panthers might be hunting armadillos, raccoons or an “occasional deer or hog,” biologists say.

Researchers don’t know exactly when young panthers begin to separate from their mothers, but they typically leave their mothers to carve out their own territory by age 2.

This year is still going better for the rare Florida panther species than in 2024, when 13 panthers were killed in nearly the same time frame that six have died in 2025.

It’s not all bad news for the Florida panther. Biologists discovered a litter of three kittens and surveyed them in March, McClatchy News reported.

Collier County is in southwest Florida and includes the Naples area.

This story was originally published May 2, 2025 at 2:12 PM with the headline "1-year-old endangered Florida predator killed by a vehicle when crossing road."