The management of populations of large carnivores, such as the wolf, is often of socio-economic rather than biological nature. For a successful wolf management in Croatia it is necessary to understand people inhabiting areas that are at the same time wolf habitats.
Only after we have recognized interests and problems of all interest groups and the public, an efficient wolf management can take place. Such a management will be a reflection of understanding and efforts of all interested citizens.

This problem area is addressed by a field of science called "a human dimension in wildlife management". The first research of this type in Croatia was carried out precisely on the issue of wolf management during 1999 and 2000 and the research results are available on Internet.

Since public viewpoints are highly dynamic, such research work is to be repeated. For that reason another research started within the project "Conservation and Management of Wolves in Croatia" so as to record what the inhabitants of Croatia think about wolves and their management in Croatia.

At the same time the preparation of the wolf management plan started, with the aim to ensure a direct participation of all interested parties. The representatives of various interest groups and the competent Ministry come together and co-operate in the preparation of the management plan, with the main objective to provide conditions for the survival of the wolf population in Croatia with as few conflicts with people as possible. Joint efforts yielded fruit and on 7 December 2004 the competent Ministry of Culture adopted the Wolf Management Plan for Croatia as an official document. The Plan is still being implemented and its implementation includes a number of institutions and associations.

A survey of public opinion on wolves was conducted at the project start in 2003 and its completion in 2005. The questionnaire applied for both surveys contained over 80 questions that covered diverse areas, such as a general attitude towards wolves, viewpoints on different issues of relevance to wolf management, fear of wolves, the knowledge of the wolf biology and status in Croatia, the familiarity with the LIFE project "Conservation and Management of Wolves in Croatia" and the respondents' experiences with wolves. In 2003 the survey was conducted through personal contacts and interviews with randomly chosen respondents at their place of residence, and in 2005 by mail. It is quite probable that different methodologies resulted in different qualities of the data collected.
Results of the first survey carried out within the project show that attitudes toward wolves in Croatia have remained positive. Majority of all respondents wishes to conserve wolves in Croatia for future generations.

The results of the second survey conducted in the context of the project showed the public attitudes to have remained mostly positive, with the exception of Dalmatia, a region suffering most from the damage caused to livestock. Interestingly, positive answers markedly increased in Lika, which may have been associated with field activities of the project. As to the familiarity with the project existence, as much as one quarter of the respondents on average has already heard about the project earlier. The highest rise in relation to the 2003 survey was recorded also in Lika, a region with a highly active regional office.

back to the top