"2024 Marks First Endangered Florida Panther Death"

The first endangered Florida panther death of 2024 has been reported, with a 1-year-old male found dead from an apparent vehicle strike in Hendry County. This marks the continuation of a concerning trend, as 13 panthers were killed in 2023 due to vehicle strikes. With their habitat now largely confined to a small region of Florida, efforts to protect the remaining population of up to 230 Florida panthers in the wild are crucial.