Officials: Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle

ESTERO, 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 19 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The remains of the 9-month-old male panther were found Wednesday in Lee County on a rural road west of the CREW Cypress Dome Trails, 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.