This article provides a first investigation on the attitude of South Tyrolean residents (northern Italy) toward the return of the wolf in their province. Data were collected through an online questionnaire, which was available for 54,527 residents (≥ 18 years old) of South Tyrol with internet access and a Facebook® account and was shared on the institute’s homepage. In total, 1818 valid responses were collected in 2 months in 2018. Cluster analysis evidenced four homogenous groups of respondents characterized by the components of attitude, their district community, the wolf distribution in their area, belief factors, and the personal fear of wolves. The data analysis revealed differences and relations between the four clusters in the level of knowledge, experience with wolves, education level, and the expected impact on the tourist sector. The obtained results (1) evidence some key factors influencing the attitude of residents, (2) underline the importance of considering small spatial scale attitudinal differences, and (3) urge for an extended human dimension of wolf coexistence research to support local management strategies.