An 11-year-old critically endangered Florida panther was killed by a vehicle in Collier County, raising the 2025 death total to 14.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission‘s Panther Pulse website, the 11-year-old female designated as K408 was found on Sept. 29, by Jane’s Memorial Scenic Drive, Copeland.
K408 is the oldest panther killed in 2025 so far, topping a 10-and-a-half-year-old female killed in Hendry County in late February.
Since 2014, the FWC has maintained records of panther deaths, depredations, and births of litters. Comparing this death to years prior, K408 is one of the oldest panthers killed on record.
Credit: Jason Francis
By Nicholas Karsen
The oldest recorded death, however, occurred in 2015, when FP93, a 16.8-year-old female, was killed in Collier County. Her death remains unknown.
Currently, Collier County is the deadliest regarding panther deaths in 2025, with seven reported fatalities by vehicles. Two of the six reported deaths were sister kittens found on Davis Boulevard, both eastbound and westbound on Aug. 10.
One death has been attributed to “intraspecific aggression,” which, according to the Center for Academic Research & Training in Anthropogeny, occurs when animals attack members of their species. Typically, this is done as an act of dominance or when resources are scarce, forcing a struggle to improve survival chances.
As the panther’s environment dwindles, concerns about the uptick in deaths reported, specifically in hotspots such as Collier County, are raised.
Conservation efforts have been ongoing in Florida, emphasizing state-protected parks to minimize risk.
Credit: Brandon A. Güell
By Nicholas Karsen
This expansion helped panthers thrive in their environment without interacting with people. According to Conservation Florida, male panthers need at least 200 square miles of habitat to thrive in their environment, which led to the meticulous decision to purchase the land.
Traci Deen, President and CEO of Conservation Florida, spoke on the purchase and how it will continue to benefit the non-profit’s goal.
“We worked with the land owners to purchase the 17 parcels within the Fakahatchee Strand,” said Deen. “These parcels are referred to as inholdings, meaning that its land within the state park’s boundary but were not included within the park itself.”
The nonprofit is located at 137 Coastline Drive in Copeland, an unincorporated community in eastern Collier County.
Nicholas Karsen is a Digital Specialist and has been with WINK News since May 2023.