Florida panthers are facing an increasingly urgent threat from traffic

This image from a US Fish and Wildlife Service motion-activated camera shows a Florida panther at Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge - (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

A young Florida panther's death in January marked a grim start to the year for the endangered species.

The male panther, known as UCFP479, was killed in a vehicle collision on a rural road in southwestern Florida, highlighting the increasing threat of human development to the vulnerable population.