Officials: Florida panther struck and killed by vehicle

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

It’s the ninth panther death attributed to fatal collisions, out of 10 total deaths this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The remains of the 1-year-old female panther were found Sunday in Collier County on a rural road south of Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management Area, 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.