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Two Florida endangered species found killed

Two rare endangered species -- one a leatherback sea turtle, the other a Florida panther -- were found killed, wildlife officials said in late February.

The first to be found was the leatherback, whose butchered carcass was found Jan. 17 far from the ocean in Jennings State Forest in Clay County. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) investigators have appealed to the public for information in connection with the killing.

Killing an endangered species is a 3rd-degree felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and up to a $5,000 fine.

Anyone with knowledge about the dead sea turtle or how it wound up in the forest can call the FWC's Wildlife Alert hotline toll-free at 888-404-3922. Callers can remain anonymous and are eligible for a cash reward if the information leads to an arrest and conviction. You can also make a report online at MyFWC.com/law/Alert/.

Leatherback sea turtles are named for their rubbery shell and are the largest sea turtles. Adults can weigh between 700 and 2,000 pounds and reach 4 to 8 feet in length. Last year, 783 leatherback nests were counted on Florida's beaches. Nesting season runs from March to July.

The second endangered species found dead was a Florida panther hit by a vehicle in Lee County. FWC dispatchers received a call from the Lee County Sheriff's Office about the panther on Feb. 27.

The panther was struck and killed on I-75 about a half-mile north of State Road 82. FWC law enforcement officers arrived to find the lifeless body of an uncollared male panther lying in the median.

Five panthers have died so far in collisions on the state's roadways in 2006. Two others are known to have succumbed to natural causes.

FWC investigators report little physical evidence of vehicle damage at the scene, and there was no indication anyone was injured as a result. Drivers are cautioned to keep a sharp lookout and obey all traffic regulations, especially where panther speed zones are in force. Drivers should be especially cautious at night, when panthers are most active.

Male panthers are most often the victims of highway accidents. Panther habitats are generally occupied by a single dominant male and one or more females. The dominant male kills, injures or chases out all other males competing for his breeding territory. Because dominant males already occupy most breeding territories, lesser males are forced to wander to find a breeding territory of their own. At times, these travels take them far away from the breeding population centered in Collier, Hendry and western Miami-Dade counties, through areas of high vehicle traffic, in an effort to find unspoken-for mates. Typically, panther territories consist of largely undisturbed tracts between 30 and 100 square miles in size. Statewide, the panther population is estimated at about 80 animals.

The biggest threats to panthers are loss of habitat and habitat fragmentation. The Panther Trust Fund provides money for the state's panther research project and is entirely supported by the sale of Florida panther license tags.