May was a tough month for panther, bear and human encounters in Southwest Florida. By May 6, four panthers, one man, a dog and three bears were killed during those confrontations.
Panthers
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation’s (FWC) Panther Pulse database, vehicle collisions were responsible for all of the panther fatalities. The remains of a 1 to 1.25 year old male panther were collected May 1 on State Road 29, about 1 mile south of SR82 in Collier County; the remains of a 4-to-5-year-old male were collected May 2 on Keri Road in Hendry County; the remains of a 6-to-8 month old panther (gender unknown) were collected on Josie Billie Highway in Hendry County; and the remains of a 2-to-3 year old female were collected on SR29 in Collier County…