BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — A new 2.7-mile wildlife fence by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) was approved by the Lee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), the Florida panther is a federally-endangered species.
The map above from FWC shows Southwest Florida is home to most of the state's confirmed panther sightings.
According to the FWC, crashes with vehicles are the leading cause of death for Florida panthers.
With Interstate 75 running along the west side of Larry Kiker Preserve, in Estero, FWC and FDOT are trying to ensure the panthers stay off the busy highway.
“It is a protected area on one side and development on the other side of I-75," said Carol Rizkalla, FWC Florida Panther Management Program Coordinator. "Of course, when an animal approaches and wants to cross they’re not going to know what’s on the other side until they get there, so we do want them to stay on the preserve side.”
Brent Setchell, FDOT District One Drainage Design Engineer, says installing a 10-foot fence with barbed wire on top for an almost 3-mile stretch, and hooks at the ends will hopefully cut the number of crashes that kill panthers and protect drivers as well.
“Motorists safety is our number one priority at the Florida Department of Transportation," said Setchell. "Whether that’s looking at vehicle-to-vehicle collisions, or in this case wildlife collisions, we're looking at ways to prevent those."
Setchell tells Fox 4, construction is set to begin in December, but the timing may change based on the Governor's $4 billion dollar infrastructure plan. However, Setchell did confirm this project should not cause any traffic delays.
