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Officials: Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle

Florida panther
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BIG CYPRESS, Fla. (AP) -- An endangered Florida panther has died after being struck by a vehicle.

It's the 16th panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of 22 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The remains of the 4-month-old male panther were found Tuesday within Big Cypress National Preserve in Collier County, wildlife officials said.

Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeast, but now their habitat mostly is confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.