New wildlife crossings could save panther lives in 2025

After one of the deadliest years on record for the Florida panther, funding from state and federal agencies will build 3 new wildlife crossings in 2025.

Florida panther uses wildlife crossing bridge
USFWS | Public Domain
Endangered Florida panther uses a bridge designed for wildlife crossing

Florida’s human population has exploded in the last 5 years. Developers build new communities and the state builds new roads to accommodate the influx of residents. These roads create sudden new obstacles for panthers that used to roam freely through Florida’s wilderness. The result is that large areas of panther habitat are being divided by deadly strips of road that the big cats must cross to hunt and breed. In 2023 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) documented 30 panthers killed by moving vehicles. The big cat population was estimated between 120-230 in 2018. 

Wildlife crossings are an effective tool

New roads are not the only problem, panthers continue to be hit and killed in areas that we know are hotspots for wildlife to attempt to cross the road. While the best course of action is to leave panther habitats connected and wild, we know that adding bridges, ledges and culverts to help wildlife safely cross existing roads saves lives. Research shows that proper wildlife crossings that include fencing reduce vehicle animal collisions by 86%. That’s why it’s encouraging to hear that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will be breaking ground on 3 new wildlife crossing projects in 2025.

At the end of December the U.S. Department of Transportation announced that Florida will receive $6.1 million as part of the federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. The program is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with a goal of reducing animal vehicle collisions and improving wildlife connectivity. The grant will be used to build a wildlife crossing on US 27 near Venus in Highlands County. The area is a known place for panther crossings with several collisions already on record. Cameras installed near the proposed location confirm wildlife has roamed near the road for years.

Deer near US 27 in Highlands county Florida Department of Transportation | Public Domain
Bear and cubs captured near proposed wildlife crossing Florida Department of Transportation | Public Domain
Bobcat captured on camera near US 27 Florida Department of Transportation | Public Domain

Wildlife crossing combines with land conservation

What makes this grant announcement for US 27 especially sweet is that a week later, Governor Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet approved a conservation easement for the lands adjacent to the proposed wildlife crossing. It’s ranch land that will now remain undeveloped, adding another puzzle piece to the connected corridor of protected undeveloped land through Florida called the Florida Wildlife Corridor. This piece will connect the conservation lands of Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area with roughly 40,000 acres of wild lands near Archbold and Lake Wales Ridge.

The plan for more crossings

There are also two other wildlife crossings built into FDOT’s budget that will begin construction this year. One is on I-4 near SR 33 in Polk County. The proposed bridge crossing is set to break ground in early 2025 just west of Florida Polytechnic University. 

The other is on SR 82 near Corkscrew Road in Collier County which is another documented hotspot of vehicle and panther collisions.

Florida Department of Transportation | Public Domain
FDOT ESRI Wildlife Crossing location map. Blue and green lines indicate areas with panther/vehicle collisions.

According to a conservation plan for the Florida panther released by FDOT, US Fish and Wildlife Service and FWC in February of 2024, there are nine fully funded wildlife crossings projects in the works. With the announcement of the new federal grant that number is now 10. Five more locations have been identified as priority projects to be completed within the next 5 years if FDOT is successful in finding funding for those projects. And there are eight other areas of concern identified by the state as places where wildlife crossings could aid in conservation measures that are more than 5 years out. FDOT released a new map of current and planned wildlife crossings, many include a link to images from wildlife cameras at the crossings.

Identifying areas of greatest conservation impact and planning for wildlife crossings long term is a positive step in aiding the recovery of this endangered species. Now we are encouraging the state to follow up on the findings in this report and prioritize funding for wildlife crossings in the 2025 budget.

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Authors

Mia McCormick

Advocate, Environment Florida Research & Policy Center

Mia is focused on fighting for clean waterways, protecting Florida’s environmentally sensitive areas, advocating for stronger wildlife protections and reducing plastic pollution on our beaches. Mia lives in the Tampa Bay area and loves taking her family on nature adventures.