Florida panther found dead on ranch

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.