HENDRY COUNTY, Fla. (AP) - Officials say a Florida panther has been found dead from an apparent fight with another panther in southwest Florida.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that the 4-year-old male cat's body was found by hikers Thursday at the Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area south of LaBelle in Hendry County. The remains will be taken to a Gainesville facility for a necropsy.
A total of 20 Florida panthers have been found dead in 2016, with 17 road fatalities.
Florida panthers once roamed the entire southeastern U.S., but only around 180 remain in the wild.
It's been a deadly week for the panthers. On Tuesday, two other panthers were found dead due to separate vehicle collisions in Hendry and Lee counties.
