NAPLES, Fla. – Florida wildlife officials have recovered the remains of a Florida panther in Collier County.
Officials say the male panther was hit by a vehicle and the carcass was recovered on Friday.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said in a news release that the remains will be taken to Gainesville for a necropsy. They believe the panther was between 14 and 16 months old.
So far in 2016, 11 Florida panthers have been found dead, with nine road fatalities.
Florida panthers once roamed the entire southeastern U.S., but only around 180 remain in the wild.