It Was a Tough Year for Florida's Panthers

Three dozen Florida panthers died in 2024, making it the worst year for deaths of the highly endangered species since 2016. The animals, once found across the Southeast, are now mostly confined to one region along the Gulf of Mexico, per CBS News. They're battling low genetic diversity, illness, and habitat loss, but are particularly vulnerable to vehicle strikes, which killed 29 of the animals in 2024, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Another was struck by a train. Just two were killed by predators, while four had "unknown" causes of death.

Ten of the deaths occurred in November and December, per CBS. Fox Weather describes five deaths since Nov. 29. There are just 120 to 230 adult panthers estimated to be living in Florida. Despite challenges for the species, "there are also positive indicators," according to a recent report. It notes "the FWC has documented notable improvements in population genetics and multiple detections of female panthers with kittens north of the Caloosahatchee River, providing clear evidence of breeding in Central Florida," per the Miami Herald. CBS notes a litter of three cubs was spotted in the Okaloacoochie Slough State Forest in August. (More Florida stories.)