In 2024, 36 Florida Panthers were accidently killed—mostly by cars. As there are many new building projects in Eastern Collier and Lee Counties, in panther territory—that number is not expected to go down in the future.

CBS News has reported Michael McGrath of the Sierra Club feels that the endangered Florida Pather is “at a critical juncture now … We’re going to see more and more deaths. Sprawl kills.”

In the last decade, it is thought that 239 mostly male panthers have died in traffic accidents.

In 2021, National Geographic explained that the number of cats was only hovering around 200. It is easy to see why every preventable Florida Panther death is a concern.

Because numbers were very low, the Florida panther, (or Florida cougar, or Florida puma), had become inbred by the 1990s. Its habitat is fragmented and has shrunk by 95 percent. Thus, it lost genetic diversity as it is isolated in a small area. The Florida cougar is now subject to genetic defects like heart complications, rear leg problems, and distinctive kinked tails.

To counteract these difficulties, eight female pumas from Texas were added to the small numbers of their Florida kin in the mid-1990’s, when it was thought that there were only 30 left in the South Florida wild at that point. Fortunately, it was successful, and prevented a continuing downward spiral. More than 20 kittens were documented as being born soon after.

Panther characteristics

Adult male Florida panthers weigh about 150 lbs (68 kg), while females are smaller at about 100 lbs (45.5 kg) or less. Panther kittens are usually born between March and July. They weigh over a lb (about 0.5 kg) at birth, and stay with their mothers for 18 months to two years.

As an apex predator that keeps other animals healthy, and their numbers in check; it was good news that the number of white-tail deer in Florida had been reduced in 2022. These cougars also eat hares, mice, storks, raccoons, birds, wild pigs, and armadillos. 

Conservation Projects

There are several projects that are designed to protect the Florida panther. The Disney Wilderness Preserve is 11,500 acres, located north of the central Caloosahatchee River.  While just south of the Florida-Georgia state line is the White Oaks Conservation Center. And the Panther Ridge Conservation Center is found in Loxahatchee Groves, Florida.

Naturalists have also been betting on the continued existence of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a patchwork of public open spaces and privately-owned ranches, might keep puma populations healthy. An underpass on Interstate 4 in Polk County is planned to allow wild animals to pass under the highway in safety. 

 

Learn more about Florida Panthers

 

Sources

Endangered Florida panthers are facing multiple deadly threats: “Sprawl kills”. CBS News. (2025, March 3). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/endangered-florida-panthers-deadly-threats-urban-sprawl-traffic/

Once Nearly Extinct, The Florida Panther Is Making A Comeback. National Public Radio. (2021, May 23). National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/23/999202593/once-nearly-extinct-the-florida-panther-is-making-a-comeback

Panther Biology. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: State of Florida.  (2024). https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/panther/biology/

How America’s most endangered cat could help save Florida. National Geographic Society. (2021, March 9). https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/florida-panthers-return-imperiled-by-development-feature?loggedin=true

Florida panther. Wikipedia: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (2024, February 1). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_panther

How the Texas puma saved the Florida panther: Uncovering the genetic details of a conservation success story  ScienceDaily: Ohio State University. (2019, October 3). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/10/191003111755.htm

FDOT plans state’s first wildlife crossing overpass across I-4 in Polk County. Scripps Media, Inc. (2023, May 10). https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/fdot-plans-states-first-wildlife-crossing-overpass-across-i-4-in-polk-county