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

The striped hyena is an enigmatic species that is little studied. It is mainly found in semiarid and arid regions and is described as elusive, cryptic, nocturnal, and solitary. The global distribution is disjunct, and the species suffers from human persecution. However, specific communities consider them to be commensals. Owing to their scavenging behavior, striped hyenas are disproportionately involved in vehicular-wildlife incidents, most of which are fatal. By combining data collected by the Scientific Data Department of the Israel Nature Parks Authority with information from remote sensing imaging, we illustrate the distribution of the striped hyena, identify critical habitats in which they occur, and illustrate the zones with the highest conflicts in the whole of Israel and the West Bank. The scale of striped hyena mortality (44.3/year) suggests that populations are much higher than previous estimates. We found more striped hyena carcasses on road/highway networks and urban areas than in natural surroundings. Our results should help focus the efforts to mitigate wildlife road kills by implementing conservation measures in urban areas and inter-city highways, with a stress on striped hyena mortality.

Automated summary

The striped hyena is a little-studied enigmatic species mainly found in semiarid and arid regions. It is described as elusive, cryptic, nocturnal, and solitary, and suffers from human persecution. Our study combines data and remote sensing imaging to illustrate its distribution, identify critical habitats, and highlight areas with the highest conflicts in Israel and the West Bank. The high mortality rate suggests higher population estimates, and the majority of carcasses were found in road/highway networks and urban areas.