Wolves on the phone: Public calls reveal a rise in urban concerns as wolves recolonize human-dominated areas

TL;DR

As wolves return to human areas in Italy, public concerns are rising, especially in cities, which could change how people view wolf conservation.

Contribution

The study reveals a shift in public attitudes toward wolves in urban areas due to their recolonization.

Findings

Wolf reports increased in late winter, matching dispersal periods.

Urban areas showed more reports and negative sentiment about wolves.

Public concerns may weaken support for wolf conservation in urban regions.

Abstract

European wolf populations are expanding into human-dominated landscapes, triggering novel interactions with citizens and public concerns that may disrupt the traditional urban–rural divide in wolf attitudes and reshape conservation paradigms. We modelled the spatiotemporal distribution and valence of the wolf reports received through a dedicated phone service in Tuscany, Italy (2021–2024). Reports were significantly more common in: (i) late winter, aligning with the peak dispersal period and increased wolf movements. (ii) recently recolonized areas, suggesting a wolf-novelty effect, and (iii) urban areas, where negative valence was also more likely. Public concerns about wolves are increasingly emerging in urban areas, potentially disrupting the traditionally more supportive urban stance on wolf presence. In one of the European regions where wolf recovery began earlier and progressed further, our findings signal a broader shift in public attitudes that may weaken support for wolf conservation, potentially anticipating similar developments in areas of more recent recovery.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-025-02264-z.

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