NAPLES, Fla. - Wildlife officials say a 13-month-old Florida panther kitten was struck and killed by a vehicle on Interstate 75 in southwest Florida.
The collision occurred early Wednesday in the northbound lanes of I-75 near Naples.
In a news release, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist Mark Lotz says the carcass has been recovered and is being taken to the agency's lab in Gainesville for necropsy.
The panther's mother was killed in the same area on Sept. 18. Her litter of three kittens was handled by wildlife officials in September 2014 and all were tagged. One of the kittens was taken to Zoo Miami when she was 11 weeks old after getting separated from the rest of the family.
So far, 21 of the 30 panthers that have died this year have been killed on roadways.
