The 1-year-old male panther was struck by a vehicle on State Road 29, which is the most common cause of death for the State Animal of Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Panther Pulse. This is the 17th recorded Florida panther death of 2024.
On State Road 29, 17 panthers have been struck since 2018. Panther Pulse has recorded 144 panther deaths in the same period of time. This indicates that State Road 29 has been the site of over 12% of all documented panther deaths.
However, 121 of the 144 panther fatalities that have occurred since 2018 are the result of car strikes. That indicates that one road, State Road 29, accounts for over 14% of all car strikes involving panthers.
We have 13 panther road fatalities on record for SR29 between US41 and SR82 since 2018. FWC stated, “Of those, ten have been on SR29 north of the Panther Refuge.
Adding wildlife crossings, underpasses, or fencing to a region is one method wildlife officials attempt to lower the number of cars colliding with wildlife.
“FWC says these tools have helped on State Road 29 too. “Fencing with wildlife underpasses on SR29 within the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and south along Big Cypress National Preserve have assisted with preventing enumerable panther vehicle collisions since those features were installed. Areas north of FPNWR are not currently fenced and do not have wildlife underpasses,” the FWC website states. “There are 60 wildlife crossings or bridges that have been modified for use by panthers on Florida’s roads.”
An organisation called Panther Crossing advocates for safer roads in order to protect endangered species.
When visibility is at its lowest, between dusk and dawn, panther activity is at its peak. 45 mph nighttime speed zones exist where panthers are known to frequently cross roads,” says the Panther Crossing website.
While State Road 29 is a hot spot for Florida panther vehicle strikes, it isn’t the only hot spot.
“We’ve documented eight panther vehicle mortalities since 2018 on SR82 at the intersection of Corkscrew Rd. I believe that section of road is slated to have some wildlife underpasses installed along with fencing in the near future,” said FWC.
The endangered species confronts various risks that may imperil its existence, including development, feline leukomyelopathy (FLM), and car strikes. There are between 120 and 230 adult Florida panthers living in the wild.
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