Farmers versus wolves: how geographic, social cognitive, and experiential factors influence attitudes towards a predator in Italy

As the Italian wolf (Canis lupus italicus) population has increased in recent years, so have conflicts with human activ- ities. Although wolves feed mainly on wild ungulates in Italy, predation on livestock is also well‐documented. Despite efforts to minimize depredation events, wolf predation on livestock seems to be increasing and many farmers express negative attitudes towards wolves. We hypothesize that the manage- ment of livestock causes conflicts between farmers and wolves, and that years of cohabitation with this species plays a major role in this conflict. To better understand the relationship between wolves and humans throughout Italy, we interviewed 426 farmers in 2023‐2024 using anonymous questionnaires and analyzed their attitudes towards wolves, exploring potential correlates such as geographic and demo- graphic information, knowledge and beliefs about wolves, and personal experience with livestock and wolves. Our results highlight differences in attitudes towards wolves based on 1) geographic areas (farmers in northern Italy have more negative attitudes compared to central and southern Italy), 2) level of knowledge and beliefs about wolves (farmers with less knowledge of wolves expressed more negative attitudes; more years of cohabitation with wolves correlate with positive attitudes), and 3) prevention methods or personal experience with wolves (use of guard dogs and electric fences was related to positive attitudes). Despite the limited sample size, this study represents one of the first attempts to collect data on farmers' perceptions of wolves across Italy. Our findings underscore both the need for further representative investi- gations focused on controversial carnivore species and the importance of tailoring wildlife management strategies to diverse social and geographical contexts.