Fifth panther death of 2026 reported on US-27 in Glades County

GLADES COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — Florida Fish and Wildlife reported the fifth panther death this year in Glades County on US-27, 1.75 miles south of FL-29.

FWC said it was an uncollared Florida panther, which means it was a panther they were not tracking. According to FWC's Panther Pulse data, the last time there was a death in Glades County was Dec. 11, 2025.

This marks the fifth Glades County panther death since 2024. The other four deaths this year occurred in Collier County, all due to vehicle strikes.

Last year, the fifth death was reported on March 28, so the numbers are on track with what they were last year. According to FWC, the more panthers that get killed could be a sign that there are more panthers in the wild.