Drones use music and movie clips to protect cattle from wolves

In a pioneering effort to protect livestock from wolves, biologists have developed a method utilizing drones. This innovative approach is being trialed near the California-Oregon border, where the team employs drones capable of blasting music and movie clips, including AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck' and recordings of human voices, to scare off wolves from cattle. This experimentation arises in response to rising conflicts between ecosystems and ranching, as about 800 domesticated animals in the U.S. were reportedly killed by wolves in 2022 alone. The integration of drones with sonorous deterrents aims to mitigate livestock losses while ensuring the safety of both ranchers and wolves. The biologists continue to gather data about wolf reactions to the drone technology throughout the summer, extending their patrol efforts further into areas previously affected by high wolf and livestock conflicts. Recent studies indicate that unusual stimuli, such as human voices, effectively disrupt wolf predation behaviors, aligning with expert views on the natural fears of wolves regarding unfamiliar entities. Nevertheless, ranchers have expressed caution about the long-term viability of this method, indicating a potential need for further strategies should initial success diminish over time. If this drone technique proves effective in the long run, it may revolutionize the way ranchers manage livestock protection and coexistence strategies with wildlife, reducing reliance on more lethal measures.