Changes in attitudes toward wolves in Croatia

Against a background of an evolving wolf policy process we carried out personal structured interviews with residents of three regions within Croatian wolf range in 1999 (n = 1209) and repeated the study, using the same methodology in 2003 (n = 1172). We documented a change in public support for wolf conservation and support for control of wolves. The change was a result of a real change in attitudes and not of a change in the age structure of the sampled population. The changes were documented in the two southern regions, Lika and Dalmatia, with attitudes shifting towards a more neutral viewpoint, as there was a decrease in support for wolf conservation and a decrease in support to control wolves. It seems that different birth cohorts react differently to conservation activities. In 1999, the younger cohort groups may have been influenced more by the legal protection campaign. The older cohorts reacted more sympathetically to livestock concerns and thus held stronger negative attitudes toward wolves. Using human dimensions research as an evaluative tool can help large carnivore managers be more adaptive and thus effective in their management solutions.