LABELLE, Fla. (AP) - Officials say a Florida panther was killed by a vehicle in southwest Florida.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that the uncollared male cat - estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old - died near an intersection Thursday night in rural Hendry County, southwest of Lake Okeechobee.
This is the ninth Florida panther death of 2014, the fifth hit by a vehicle.
Florida panthers once roamed the entire southeastern U.S., but only around 160 remain in the wild.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.