Three dozen Florida panthers died in 2024, making it the worst year for deaths of the highly endangered species since 2016. The animals, once found across the Southeast, are now mostly confined to one region along the Gulf of Mexico, per CBS News. They’re battling low genetic diversity, illness, and habitat loss, but are particularly vulnerable to vehicle strikes, which killed 29 of the animals in 2024, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Another was struck by a train. Just two were killed by predators, while four had
