People’s knowledge and attitudes towards animals are an important factor in the conservation and protection of these species. The present study examines the knowledge and attitudes towards Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in lower secondary school students coming from two regions in Slovenia, i.e. Dolenjska and Gorenjska, which differ in lynx occurrence. Students’ knowledge and attitudes were assessed by means of a questionnaire consisting of knowledge test and attitudinal scale, and compared according to gender, age and place of residence. We wanted to know if the amount of knowledge and the place of residence affects the attitude of the students. The results show that the students’ knowledge about the Eurasian lynx, its ecology in particular, is poor. No gender-related differences were detected in their knowledge and there were also no differences in the knowledge of the students living in the lynx occurrence area, i.e. Dolenjska, and those coming from Gorenjska where lynx is not present. However, it was established that eighth-grade students possessed of the least knowledge about the Eurasian lynx, whilst there was no difference in the degree of knowledge between the seventh and ninth graders. The survey results lead to the conclusion that the students with more knowledge are more willing to learn about the lynx, demonstrating less fear and more positive attitudes towards the Eurasian lynx than the students with lesser knowledge. With regard to the place of residence, no differences were identified as both groups of students showed positive attitudes towards the Eurasian lynx. It is therefore imperative that the content of the Eurasian lynx be introduced into the learning process as knowledge can be an important factor in establishing positive attitudes towards this species, which is crucial for the protection and conservation of the Eurasian lynx in Slovenia.
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