Twenty-seven Florida panther deaths have been recorded by the state this year, and 25 of those deaths were road kills, the other two are listed as unknown causes of death.
The record was 34 vehicle-panther mortalities in 2016.
The Florida panther is the official animal of the Sunshine State. The honor was bestowed upon them via voting of school children in 1982.
State wildlife officials say the panther is the most endangered of the symbols commonly associated with Florida.
It is thought there were more than 3,000 Florida panthers before Europeans first arrived.
Estimates are that no more than 230 wild ones remain, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The 230 number is a big increase from the few dozen panthers that were alive in South Florida by the early 1990s.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FWC worked to introduce seven female Texas cougars into the population in 1997, and the population has flourished since. As an apex predator the panther’s main danger is man.
“Vehicle collisions are the primary cause of death for Florida panthers,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. said in a statement.
“The FWC .encourages motorists to slow down and observe all posted speed limits, especially in panther zones, which are in place in several counties across South Florida and coincide with areas where panthers are known to cross. These panther speed zones help ensure the survival of the endangered Florida panther and protect motorists from personal injury.”
“People can also help by reporting injured or dead panthers to the FWC wildlife alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). FWC biologists collect dead panthers and gain valuable information by examining their remains.”