CHRISTMAS, Fla. (AP) - A necropsy confirms that a Florida panther was struck and killed by a car in Orange County.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist retrieved the carcass Sunday night near Christmas.
Mark Cunningham is a veterinarian with the commission. He says the carcass appears to be that of a young male panther. There was no evidence that the animal was a captive and Cunningham says it did not have a heart defect occasionally seen in Florida panthers.
This marks the 25th Florida panther to die this year in Florida and the 17th killed by a car. In 2011, nine of 24 documented Florida panther deaths were attributed to vehicle collisions.
Wildlife officials say the panther population has grown five-fold since the 1980s.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Rules of Conduct
Welcome to the discussion.
Or, use your linked account: