Habitat Evaluation of the Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena hyaena) in Khojir National Park

Striped hyenas are unique and vital components of certain ecosystems. As the species is located on the top of the food pyramid, information about its biological needs can be useful at the same time for the conservation of other species. Recent environmental destructions have generally led to major habitat loss, and so protection of the hyenas’ habitats is regarded as very important. As such, habitat management based on evaluation is strongly recommended as a practical solution. A habitat evaluation for the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) was conducted in Khojir National Park, located in the southwest of Tehran. The park is 11,570 ha in size and was divided into three sections for the purposes of the evaluation. Habitat conditions were evaluated in three sections of the park using the Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP) and the Ranking Variable Approach (RVA). Both methods provided the highest Habitat Suitability Indices (HSI) for section 3. A maximum HIS of 0.87 was found for which 3,654 habitat units were available.