FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Wildlife officials say two more endangered Florida panthers have been killed in vehicle collisions.
According to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission news release, the remains of a 2-year-old female panther were recovered Friday along Corkscrew Road near Ben Hill Griffin Parkway, and the remains of a female panther kitten were recovered Saturday near Ben Hill Griffin Parkway and FGCU Boulevard.
It was a deadly week for panthers in which a total of four dead females were found after vehicle collisions. One was found Thursday near the Southwest Florida International Airport, and one was found Tuesday in Collier County along State Road 29.
So far this year, 34 panthers have been killed on southwest Florida's roads. That's up from 30 fatal collisions with vehicles in 2015. Only about 180 of the big cats remain in the wild.
In its November newsletter , the Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge reported that officials are reviewing existing wildlife crossings, animal detection systems and reduced speed limits implemented over the last decade to protect panthers trying to cross the roads that now divide their habitat.
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