The Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is among Anatolia’s rare mammal species that is insufficiently known. Although the species is classified as Near Threatened globally, it is close to extinction in Morocco and severely threatened in other parts of its Mediterranean range (e.g., Jordan, Syria, Libya, Turkey). Thus, it is classified as Vulnerable in the Mediterranean Basin. The species lives within a corridor beginning in South-Eastern Anatolia to Northern Aegean Region with a fragmented distribution. Caverns and coves in Mesopotamian Valleys and Steppes are among best-known biotopes for the species.
Main threats towards the species are direct persecution as a result of the human-carnivore conflict, habitat degradation, and road kills. Doga’s work on monitoring and conservation of the species is significantly advanced over the past decade in Urfa, Birecik region. Doga focuses on community-based conservation of the species via developing local stewardship among shepherds and farmers. As a result, human-carnivore conflict in Birecik is resolved, and the population of the species has started to gradually increase in this area.