nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com

A 7-year-old female panther was killed in a vehicle collision off State Route 82 near Daniels Parkway on Feb. 13, the third Lee County death of the critically endangered Florida panther this year.

In 2020, there were two panther deaths recorded in Lee County and 22 in all of Florida.

In the first six weeks of 2021, there have been six recorded panther deaths in Florida.

On Jan. 21, a 2-year-old male panther was struck and killed by a vehicle on State Route 82 at Rod and Gun Club in Lee County. On Jan. 2, a 3-year-old female panther was struck and killed by a vehicle on Terminal Access Road near Treeline Avenue.

There are believed to be 120 to 130 Florida panthers in the wild, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Female panthers have only been documented in south Florida. It is illegal to harm or harass a panther in any way under the Endangered Species Act.

The increasing panther deaths are being reported at a time of heightened sensitivity as their habitat is threatened by proposed housing and commercial developments in Collier County and the proposed MCORES highway project which could cut through their habitat in Collier County, Hendry County and Lee County.

A published report in The Intercept last month and widely re-published elsewhere, detailed threats to the panthers in Collier County from proposed developments and ongoing reviews by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Department of the Interior which could have a major impact on the panther populations.