Drones, playing AC/DC tunes, aid wildlife researchers in deterring wolves from attacking cattle

In the rural landscapes north of Mount Shasta, a unique approach to protecting cattle from gray wolves is being implemented. Biologists, led by Dr. Kevin Blecha, are employing drone technology to scare away these predators.

The drone technology, costing around $20,000, is being used by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. It's not a long-term solution, according to Mary Rickert, a cattle ranch owner in the area. Rickert, who appreciates the USDA drone patrols, fears that if the drones don't work over the long term, she might have to close her business.

The drones are equipped with thermal imaging cameras, allowing for night-time monitoring of the wolves. When a wolf is spotted, the drone operator plays a selection of preloaded clips, including music, gunshots, fireworks, and voices, through a loudspeaker. If the initial clips don't deter the wolf, the operator can improvise by yelling through the microphone or playing a different clip.

The technique has shown promising results. A preliminary study released in 2022 demonstrated that adding human voices through a loudspeaker rigged onto a drone can frighten gray wolves. The team has also documented successful interruptions of wolf hunts.

However, the drone technology does not work well in wooded areas, where the wolves can easily hide. Ranchers in Northern California who have hosted USDA drone patrols agree that they have reduced livestock deaths.

The gray wolves, once hunted nearly to extinction throughout the U.S. West by the first half of the 20th century, have made a significant comeback since their reintroduction in Idaho and at Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1990s. Today, hundreds reside in Washington and Oregon, dozens more in northern California, and thousands near the Great Lakes.

Gray wolves killed some 800 domesticated animals across 10 states in 2022. While ranchers are compensated if they can prove that a wolf killed their livestock, there are uncompensated costs of having stressed-out cows, such as lower birth rates and tougher meat.

Some areas where nonlethal efforts have failed have resorted to approving the killing of wolves. For instance, in some areas of Washington state, officials routinely sanction the killing of wolves. Mary Rickett, however, wants permission to shoot wolves if they're attacking her animals or if they come onto her property after a certain number of attacks.

Intriguingly, among the drone pilots, Oregon-based Paul Wolf, the USDA's southwest district supervisor, stands out as a Five Finger Death Punch fan. Despite the challenges, the use of drone technology in deterring gray wolves from cattle continues to be a subject of ongoing research and implementation.

Drones, playing AC/DC tunes, aid wildlife researchers in deterring wolves from attacking cattle