Fear of Wolves in Relation to Attacks on People and Livestock in Western Iran

Bibliographic Data

ID2162262
AuthorsAlireza Mohammadi (0000-0002-3327-0942, University of Jiroft), Amir Alambeigi (0000-0001-6576-2071, University of Tehran), José Vicente López-Bao (Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO/CSIC/PA), Oviedo University, Mieres, Spain), José Vicente López‐bao (0000-0001-9213-998X), Mohammad Kaboli (0000-0002-9203-2346, University of Tehran)
Year2021
Volume34
Issue2
Pages303-319
Publication date2021-03-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnthrozoös (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0892-7936 • E-ISSN: 1753-0377
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08927936.2021.1885143
OpenAlexW3133165756
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited53

We evaluated local communities’ fear of wolves in a scenario of wolf attacks on people and livestock in Western Iran. In particular, we investigated the interaction between experiences of wolf attacks (both on people and livestock) and three factors: behavioral action (management action, e.g., livestock carcass management), religious (e.g., the belief that wolves can be a curse if harmed by humans), and cultural norms (e.g., village elders have taught their children not to kill or harm wolves). We surveyed 400 randomly chosen households throughout the villages located in Hamadan province, Iran. Participants (mean age = 48.5 years) reported experiences of wolf attacks on people and on livestock in 40% and 60% of interviews, respectively. The majority of the respondents were afraid of seeing a wolf in the wild (66.5%). The majority of interviewees abandoned their livestock carcasses near agricultural lands, rangelands, and rural areas. Our results suggest that cultural factors play an active role in allaying fear of wolves, and this influence occurs regardless of having or not having experiences of wolf attacks. However, experiences of wolf–livestock attacks did not have a meaningful role in decreasing or increasing the effect of culture, religion, and behavior on fear. Efforts to reduce human fear of wolves should consider minimizing risky encounters for people, particularly focusing on unsupervised children (<12 years old). Training programs on how to properly handle livestock carcasses (e.g., appropriate methods of disposal and not abandoning livestock carcasses close to human settlements) may reduce the frequency of wolf attacks

Archaeology · Geography · Harm · Human settlement · Livestock · Pastoralism · Rangeland · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Psychology · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation · Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research · Ecology · Social Psychology

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