3-month-old endangered panther kittens killed by vehicle in Florida
The incident happened in South Florida's Collier County, near Naples, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Each kitten was 3 1/2 months old. Lisa Thompson, a commission spokesperson, referred to the panthers as siblings in an email to CBS News on Wednesday and said officials suspect that both were killed in a vehicle collision.
Incidents involving cars are usually the cause of panther deaths in Florida, the wildlife commission's records shows. Of the deaths that appear in the 2025 log, all but one are attributed to vehicle strikes. The cause of death for the one not killed in a vehicle strike is listed as "Intraspecific Aggression."
Florida panthers are the only mountain lion subspecies that currently exists in the eastern United States, according to the National Wildlife Federation. As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes, the animal initially appeared on the federal government's list of endangered species in 1967, when hunting had nearly eradicated the population. Florida's wildlife commission says between 120 and 230 adult panthers now exist in southern parts of Florida, after decades with protected status that makes it illegal to hunt or kill them.
"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," Thompson said. "These panther speed zones help ensure the survival of the endangered Florida panther and protect motorists from personal injury."
Wildlife officials have asked Florida residents to contact the commission's alert hotline if they come across a panther that is dead, injured or ill, as they try to safeguard the species.
Panther deaths overall are down this year in Florida. The state's 2024 total reached 36 by the end of December, according to the wildlife commission. However, the commission had recorded just 16 of those deaths by this time last August. The commission attributed 30 of that year's deaths to vehicles, and at least one of them involved a train accident. The 2024 death toll was Florida's highest since 2018, officials said.Kerry Breen
contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
35 minutes ago
- New York Times
Tourist ‘Is in Trouble' After Stones Taken from Pompeii, Police Say
A Scottish man is under police investigation after visiting the ancient city of Pompeii, in what could be the latest in a long line of examples of tourists behaving badly around Italy's cultural treasures. The tourist was accused of stealing five stones and a fragment of brick from the world-renowned archaeological site on Wednesday. In a statement on Thursday, the police did not name the 51-year-old man but said he 'is in trouble' and under investigation for aggravated theft. Charges have not yet been filed. Investigators described the case as a 'perfect example of synergy' between a tour guide at Pompeii, site employees and a Carabinieri police unit stationed there. While escorting a group of visitors through the site, a tour guide saw a man pick up 'pieces of pavement from one of the streets of the ancient city' and put them in his backpack, according to the police statement. It said the guide informed site employees and park security, giving a detailed description of the accused perpetrator. They, in turn, informed the Carabinieri police, who tracked down the tourist at a train station outside the site. The stones and brick fragment were found in the man's backpack, the statement said. The tourist initially said 'that his son had taken them because he collects rocks and he didn't know it was illegal to pick up stones in Pompeii,' a spokesman for the Carabinieri in Naples, asked not to be identified as is customary in Italy, said by phone. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Visitors warned not to feed bears at national parks amid increase in incidents: "Bears learn quickly"
The National Park Service is warning visitors not to feed black bears, saying that giving the animals food could lead to serious consequences for the animal and large fines. "Feeding bears is not only illegal; it can be extremely dangerous for bears and visitors," the Great Smoky Mountains National Park wrote in the warning. The park reported an increase in incidents where tourists intentional fed bears, including three separate occurrences in just one week. In one case, a visitor fed a mother bear and her two cubs and was issued a citation. Intentionally feeding wildlife in the park is a federal offense and can result in fines of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, park officials said. Any park visitor who sees someone intentionally feeding a bear should inform park authorities, the NPS said. "Bears learn quickly" and are endangered by intentional feeding, the park said. If a bear is fed by a person even once, that can lead to the animal becoming "conditioned to human food," the park said. This can result in the bear seeking out people and exhibiting more aggressive behavior while losing its natural fear of humans, putting both park visitors and bears at risk. Bears seeking out human food are also more likely to be hit by a car, the park said. "In some cases, feeding a bear can result in the euthanasia of the animal," the park said. Officials in Yellowstone National Park had to trap and kill an 11-year-old male grizzly bear in May after the animal became conditioned to human food. The bear began overturning bear-resistant dumpsters and trash cans to access human food, the park said. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to about 1,900 American black bears, according to the NPS. Bear activity is high in the area between May and August because the animal's breeding season is putting a stress on natural food sources. Eighteen-month-old yearlings are also being left by their mothers and learning how to navigate on their own for the first time. These younger bears are more likely to wander into areas where humans are, the park said. About 339 "negative human-bear encounters" are reported annually in the park, the NPS said. Many more incidents go unreported. While black bears are not normally aggressive, they will defend food and cubs. They may fight back if cornered, and may attack dogs, the NPS said. Dogs are involved in the majority of physical encounters between people and bears, the agency said. Visitors to national parks should never feed or approach bears. Coming within 150 feet of the animals can result in fines and arrest, the park said. All food and trash should be stored securely and disposed of in bear-resistant containers. Visitors should also stay alert while in the park, and report unusual bear behavior to park authorities.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Buccaneers GM Jason Licht throws Devin White under bus with eye-opening claim
The post Buccaneers GM Jason Licht throws Devin White under bus with eye-opening claim appeared first on ClutchPoints. Throughout his 10-year tenure as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' general manager, Jason Licht has mainly been successful in the NFL Draft. However, if there is one selection he greatly regrets, it was taking linebacker Devin White in 2019. At the time, White was a consensus top linebacker of the 2019 NFL Draft coming out of LSU. The Buccaneers took a shot on him at No. 5, a decision Licht said he would not make again. 'Knowing what I know now, [Devin White] would have been off my board,' Licht told 'The Athletic.' 'It was too much about him.' White was not viewed as a bust on the Buccaneers; he was actually a premier linebacker in the league. White was an All-Pro in his second year and a Pro Bowler by year three, and led the team in tackles both years. Instead, it was his off-field issues that led to his demise. After failing to agree on a contract extension, White requested a trade in 2023. The Buccaneers wanted to keep him, but White's performance declined significantly from his fourth to his fifth season. Tampa Bay obliged and sent him to the Houston Texans, where he started just one game in 2024. White's extracurricular activities have always been a dark mark on his career. He was one of the most controversial recruits in recent history when he committed to LSU after multiple arrests in high school, including a misdemeanor charge for having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl. Buccaneers' Jason Licht explains pre-draft process While White clearly still possesses talent, his uneven mental state has prevented him from being an elite athlete. That is exactly the type of player Licht now looks to avoid, he told Pat McAfee ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. 'It's really not that hard,' Licht said, via 'The Athletic.' 'We put the players that are worthy of being drafted on the board like every team does, but then we just kind of take the A-holes and the douchebags off, and the guys that don't love football and guys that have proven they don't like it, that are difficult to deal with. We just kind of mitigate our risk.' That second step would likely have removed White from Licht's 2019 NFL Draft board. The Buccaneers drafted White for his talent and potential, but Licht does not believe his personality aligns with what he is trying to build. Related: 3 Buccaneers roster hopefuls who improved stock after win vs. Titans Related: Buccaneers' Todd Bowles lays out Teddy Bridgewater preseason plan
