Panther Dies After Being Struck By Car

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NAPLES (CBSMiami/AP) — An endangered Florida panther, struck by a car earlier this week on U.S. 41., was transferred to an animal hospital in Naples where it died after surgery to repair a broken leg.

The 4 year-old male was the 13th panther death on Florida's roads so far this year.

The remains will be sent to a state lab in Gainesville for a necropsy.

State officials are set to discuss management plans for the rare cats later this month. Only about 180 panthers remain, but officials say rising number of vehicle strikes and other encounters with humans indicates that the current management plan isn't meeting its goals.

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