Florida's endangered panther is getting some high-tech backup as the state's first wildlife overpass takes shape above Interstate 4 near Lakeland. For the past three years, ZooTampa at Lowry Park and the Plantation-based nonprofit fStop Foundation have jointly operated a network of trail cameras in the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest, gathering movement data that helps guide decisions about where roads, wildlife crossings, and development should go.
The overpass, expected to open in 2027, is designed to give panthers and other animals a safer way to cross one of Central Florida's busiest highways. Vehicle collisions are one of the leading threats to the species: state wildlife officials recorded 36 panther deaths in 2024 — the highest annual toll since 2016 — and at least 11 more have been struck and killed so far this year, according to ZooTampa.
With only an estimated 120 to 230 Florida panthers remaining in the wild, every safe corridor matters. ZooTampa staff working as field technicians captured the first panther image on the cameras in May 2024 and have since documented several of the big cats. The more than 160 cameras operated by fStop Foundation across Florida's wildlife corridor have also recorded black bears, bobcats, river otters, sandhill cranes, bald eagles, and gopher tortoises, among many other species.
Beyond the striking footage, the data reveals which habitats animals actively use and where potential collision points exist — information that can directly shape conservation planning as Florida's rapid growth continues to fragment natural lands. Field crews servicing the equipment have their own close encounters with wildlife along the way, underscoring how rich the landscape remains.
Officials are reminding drivers who travel through panther territory to reduce speed and stay alert, especially around dawn, dusk, and nighttime. Anyone who spots an injured, sick, or deceased panther can contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. This story was originally reported by the Business Observer.
