Florida panther found dead on ranch
FWC photo / Tim Donovan
LABELLE, Fla. (AP) - An endangered Florida panther has died. It's the 12th panther found dead this year and the first death not attributed to a vehicle strike. The cause of death wasn't immediately known.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that the remains of the 7-year-old male were collected Wednesday on a private ranch in Hendry County.
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.