Status and distribution of the Striped Hyaena, Hyaena hyaena, in Turkey: an updated assessment (Carnivora: Mammalia)

Abstract

The Striped Hyaena, Hyaena hyaena, extends its distribution in the north into Turkey, where it has always been rare. In a status assessment conducted by Kasparek et al. in 2004, it was shown that the species is at the brink of extinction. We compiled information from different sources including a press survey and camera trapping in different parts of the country. The situation has even deteriorated since then. The population has strongly decreased, in particular in the Marmara and Mediterranean regions, and presenty the species survives in Western Anatolia only in some small relict populations in Manisa, İzmir, Muğla and Bilecik provinces. The situation is different in southeastern Turkey including the province of Hatay. The species could survive there and regular reports in the press (e.g. road kills) indicate that the species is still widespread and not extremely rare there. Several animals were confirmed to live in a nature reserve established for the protection of Striped Hyaenas in the Hatay Province. Altogether, the present-day distribution range of the Striped Hyaena in Turkey is split into two parts: a highly threatened relict populations in the west and a larger, slightly less threatened population in the southeast. This means that the species has lost about half of its distribution area in Turkey during the last three or four decades. If serious protective precaution measures are not taken, the Striped Hyaena population in western Anatolia will be completely lost in the near future.

Review of the global research on Hyaenidae and implications for conservation and management

“…2021, Çoğal et al. 2021) outside of protected areas, and as human–hyaena spatial overlap increases, more research on human perspectives towards striped hyaena and fine‐scale striped hyaena behaviour may foster coexistence.…”

“…Thus, a combination of reduced habitat and prey availability, along with an affinity for anthropogenic attractants, can result in conflicts with striped hyaena (Mills & Hofer 1998, Bhandari et al 2021. As striped hyaena continue to be reported in new locations (Akash et al 2021, Bhandari et al 2021, Çoğal et al 2021) outside of protected areas, and as human-hyaena spatial overlap increases, more research on human perspectives towards striped hyaena and fine-scale striped hyaena behaviour may foster coexistence.…”

Spatial modeling of road collisions of striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in Israel

“…The species' geographic distribution stretches across northern and eastern Africa, the Middle East, south‐central Asia, and almost the entire Indian subcontinent (Hofer & Mills, 1998a). However, many populations are disjunct, and the distribution is discontinuous (Cogal et al, 2021; Hadad, 2021). Indeed, regional studies showed, for example that the species in Armenia is nearly extinct (Khorozyan et al, 2011), and in Nepal, it is decreasing rapidly (Bhandari et al, 2021).…”

“…In most countries of the Middle East, the status of the striped hyena ranges from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered (Abi‐Said, 2006; Almasieh et al, 2022; Cogal et al, 2021; von Jaffa, 2020), including also in Israel (Dolev & Pervolutzky, 2002). The conservation status mainly results from habitat fragmentation of optimal habitats (Almasieh et al, 2022; Cogal et al, 2021) and human persecution.…”

“…In most countries of the Middle East, the status of the striped hyena ranges from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered (Abi‐Said, 2006; Almasieh et al, 2022; Cogal et al, 2021; von Jaffa, 2020), including also in Israel (Dolev & Pervolutzky, 2002). The conservation status mainly results from habitat fragmentation of optimal habitats (Almasieh et al, 2022; Cogal et al, 2021) and human persecution. These include primarily poisoning (Abi‐Said, 2006), illegal wildlife trade (Handal et al, 2021), retaliatory killing (von Jaffa, 2020), collection of sexual organs for traditional medicines (Tourani et al, 2012), and a result from the disproportionately large rate of mortality as road kills (Hofer & Mills, 1998c; Tourani et al, 2012).…”