So far, 32 panthers have died, mostly getting hit by vehicles on increasingly busy roads in their stronghold in southwest Florida. 

Traci Deen is president of the environmental group Conservation Florida. She says what little habitat the cats have left is becoming increasing squeezed by new developments and roads to funnel traffic to them. 

“The population in Florida is somewhere between 130 maybe to 230. So losing 32 panthers in one year is a tremendous loss to the Florida panther population,” she said. “It could represent, you know, over 10 percent of those population in our states. It’s devastating.” 

Deen said protecting natural lands along their migratory routes is the best way to ensure that panthers can thrive in the future.

“If we want our state animal to not only survive but thrive now and into the future, land conservation has to be a huge part of that solution,” she said, “and we need all Floridians to get involved and let it be known that this matters and support land conservation across the state.” 

Deen says creating highway underpasses that allow animals like the panther to safely migrate along wildlife corridors is another way to help preserve the species far into the future. 

She said panthers need 200 to 400 square miles to roam, but every single day 1,000 new Floridians move to the state. One way to protect them is to help preserve the Florida Wildlife Corridor: an 18 million-acre network of green spaces that panthers call home. Ten million acres are protected, but eight million acres of this corridor are still at risk for development.

Last week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced today that the remains of a juvenile male Florida panther had been found in Glades County. It’s thought that the panther was killed by a vehicle collision.

“This little panther’s tragic death illustrates the dire need for wildlife officials and state lawmakers to save this species before it’s too late,” said Jason Totoiu at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Development keeps eating away at the little bit of habitat left in southwest Florida, and it’s remarkable this panther made it this far north. It appears this animal tried hard to find safe passage through a narrow strand of habitat only to be hit by a car.

“We can’t keep hoping that panthers run the gauntlet north to get to safer ground. We need the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to act on its long-stated vision and work with Florida officials to move panthers north of the Caloosahatchee River. State lawmakers need to establish dedicated funding for wildlife crossings that are strategically placed to facilitate movement. Many states have done this already, and Florida needs to follow suit.”