TAMPA, Fla. — The year 2024 marks the deadliest year for the Florida panther since 2016, with 32 deaths recorded by the state.

Jason Lauristen is the Chief Conservation Officer for the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, which aims to connect 18 million acres of wildlife habitat across the state. Of the 32 panthers killed this year, Lauritsen said 25 were due to motor vehicle collisions.

“Most of our road system was design and built without the consideration for wildlife movements,” Lauritsen said. “We didn’t think about road permeability for wildlife. It wasn’t on our radar.”

Motor vehicle collisions have been the leading cause of trackable panther deaths since the state began monitoring back in 1972.

The Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation and its conservation partners are working with the state to reconnect corridor lands through the construction of underpasses and also by securing conservation lands. This will allow panthers to more safely expand their territory, with the goal of growing the population.