The influence of superstitions and emotions on villagers' attitudes towards striped hyena in southwestern Iran.

The intensity of human-carnivore conflict in socio-ecological systems may primarily be determined by people's attitudes and perceptions of carnivore-related threats. Direct or indirect threats posed by large carnivores to human interests may eventually lead to negative attitudes that can trigger retaliatory bahaviour against them. We studied local people's attitudes towards striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena), the nature and extent of the human-hyena conflict, and the socio-cultural drivers of the conflicts in 19 rural communities in southwestern Iran.