Two endangered Florida panther kittens struck and killed by vehicle

Two Florida panther kittens were struck and killed by a vehicle in Collier County this week, just months after they were born, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Panther Pulse.

The kittens, a pair of sisters, were found Sunday by FWC officials on a busy road near Naples. They were 3 and a half months old.

They were found a few hundred feet apart on the westbound and eastbound strips of Davis Boulevard. This is just miles northwest of the Picayune Strand State Forest, which is known to be inhabited by Florida panthers.

The deaths, which officials have attributed to vehicle strikes, bring Florida’s total panther deaths to 12 so far this year, six of which occurred in Collier County. All but one of the 2025 deaths have been attributed to vehicle hits, FWC reports.

Currently for 2025, just one litter of panther kittens has been recorded: kittens K525, K526 and K527, a trio of brothers born to mom FP269 and found by officials in early March.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission urges anyone who finds a sick, injured or dead panther to report it to the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

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This article appears in Aug 13-18, 2025.