Human dimensions play a pivotal role in wolf management and conservation. To offer an informed basis to improve Human-Wolf coexistence, we explore how socio-demographic factors, fear, knowledge, and perceptions of costs and benefits of wolf presence drive human attitudes in the southern area of the Douro River, Portugal, a region inhabited by a small and endangered wolf population. We interviewed 220 people (175 from the general public, 13 hunters, and 32 livestock owners) through a semi-structured survey organized on a 5-point Likert scale. Public and hunter respondents exhibited neutral to positive attitudes, whereas livestock owners expressed negative to neutral attitudes and revealed a Not-In-My-Backyard sentiment. We found that positive attitudes were linked to a greater receptiveness to increased wolf numbers, particularly in areas of irregular wolf presence. Fear was a significant driver of public attitudes, while the presence of wolves influenced livestock owners’views. For both groups, attitudes were also influenced by perceived costs and benefits. Knowledge about wolves did not significantly influence attitudes, with scores being consistently low across groups, and the myth of reintroduction persisting. Thus, management actions should address the concerns and complaints of individuals directly affected by wolves, dispel common fears and myths, and emphasize the ecological and economic benefits of wolf presence in the territory. Media outlets can serve as strategic partners in engaging the neutral population through untargeted interventions. Prioritizing the input of all groups, including conservationists, is essential for establishing common ground and ensuring sustained coexistence.

For centuries, wolf depredation on livestock has triggered human–wildlife conflicts throughout Europe. Free-ranging dogs, however, are increasingly abundant and may also act as predators of livestock herds. This calls for combined efforts aimed at identifying the causes of depredation events and optimizing the procedures towards predators’ identification. Here, we analysed 56 livestock depredation events in central Portugal, an area where conflict between wolves and human populations takes place. We estimated the mean minimum sampling effort (number of swabs) required to detect at least one potential predator and examined how extrinsic factors (i.e. time, meteorological conditions and vegetation cover) drive sample degradation and predator identification success. Free-ranging dogs were the only putative predator detected in most attacks (66%). Results indicate that a minimum of three swabs are needed to detect at least one predator, but using at least four would substantially increase the detection rate. We found that the longer the interval between an attack and sample collection and the higher the local humidity, the lower is the probability of identification success. On the other hand, higher temperatures and precipitation levels seem to be associated with a higher probability of success. The unexpected positive effect of precipitation may be linked to specific environmental contexts (i.e. higher precipitation levels in colder weather may still favour sample conservation). As identification success depends on time and weather conditions, the time span between a depredation event and sample collection should be reduced whenever possible, and sufficient samples should be collected to ensure an adequate detection success.

Livestock depredation is a common cause of human-carnivore conflicts. In Portugal, free-ranging dogs are increasingly abundant and overlap endangered Iberian wolf territories, with reports of livestock depredation. However, the lack of awareness about dogs’ possible role as predators leads to bias against wolves in cases of damages. Our goal was to assess and compare wolf and free-ranging dog’s diet composition at southern wolf range in Portugal, to offer insights on dogs’ predatory role on livestock and its implications for the conservation of an endangered wolf subpopulation. We assessed diet composition from 107 to 95 genetically confirmed wolf and dog scats, respectively, and complemented the analysis with data from 40 attacks on livestock with successful genetic predator assignment. Scat analysis highlighted goats as the most consumed dog prey in all analysed regions, with lagomorphs, small mammals, and wild boars as second most consumed in each region, respectively. Wolves mainly relied on goats and wild boars in the west, whereas in the central region they mostly fed on birds. The dietary overlap between both canids was very high (Pianka’s index O = 0.93), showing potential for competition. Additionally, we found that dogs were the sole predators detected in most attacks (62%). Our findings highlight dogs’ role as predators of livestock, and possibly also wild species, posing a further challenge to wolf conservation. Alongside adequate husbandry practices, we emphasise the need for a stronger enforcement of the legislation on dog ownership and an effective management of the stray population to reduce human-wolf conflict.

European wolf populations are currently exposed to distinct sources of anthropogenic disturbance and mortality that can cause dispersal limitations and lead to isolation. The identification of factors that act as complete or partial barriers to movement, dispersal, or gene flow contribute to foster con-nectivity between populations. We reviewed the existing literature (N=32) on wolf population barri-ers to 1) identify main barriers to connectivity; 2) outline different methodologies; and 3) highlight knowledge gaps. Based on the reviewed studies that empirically tested barrier occurrence (N=14), we compiled data on wolf population structure, anthropogenic disturbance, land cover, ecological factors, geographical features, and prey availability, and tested them as predictors to explain bar-rier occurrence at continental scale. We report few studies directly addressing this subject for one of the most emblematic and thoroughly studied species, inhabiting one of the most modified land-scapes in the world. Albeit our analysis suggested that anthropogenic features are the main drivers of barrier occurrence, we highlight that the absence of standardised data limits our understanding of this subject. Long-term, intensive monitoring programs, explicit hypothesis-driven research using empirical methodologies, and the integration of information on databases for collaborative science are needed to increase the conservation and management relevance of future scientific outcomes on this topic.