For thousands of years, humans tried to intimidate wolves away from cattle. Most of them did not have drones.
But a team of biologists working near the border of California Oregon, and they use them to explode AC/dc “Thunderstruck”, movie clips and live human sounds in Apex Predators to keep them away from livestock in a continuous experience.
“I can’t bear this!” Actor Scarlett Johansson screams in one clip, from the movie 2019 ” Marriage story”
“With what? I can’t talk to people?” Participant star Adam is a driver screaming again.
Gray wolves were almost hunted for extinction throughout the United States by west by the first half of the twentieth century. Since it was re -submitted in the state of Idaho and at the Yellowston National Park in the mid -1990s, they have spread to the point that the population in Northern Rocky has been removed from the list of endangered species.
There are now hundreds of wolves in Washington and Oregon, dozens more In northern CaliforniaAnd Thousands wander around Near the great lakes.
Deconited population means increasing conflict with livestock breeders – and increasingly creative efforts by the latter to protect livestock. They turned into an impressive fence, Wolf warning devicesDog guard, horse appearance Patrolsand Hunting and movingAnd now the drone. In some areas where non -deadly efforts have failed, officials are routine WolvesIncluding last week in Washington State.
Gray wolves killed about 800 domesticated animals across 10 states in 2022, which is previously Associated Press review From data from the state and federal agencies found.
Scientists have developed an animal and plant inspection service in the US Department of Agriculture, the techniques of wolves by drones while monitoring them using heat cameras at night, when predators are more active. A preliminary study released in 2022 showed that adding human sounds through a forged loudspeaker on a drone can scare it.
The team documented a successful interruption of wolf hunting. When Dustin Rangk, the head of the US Department of Agriculture in the project, saw the first time, smiled from ear to ear.
“If we can reduce these negative effects of wolves, this is likely to lead to a situation in which he coexists,” said Ranglak.
The previously loaded clips include music, floating, fireworks and sound recordings. The drone pilot begins to play three clips randomly chosen, such as the “Thunterstruck” scene, with its screaming and the electric guitar for hair breeding.
If these people do not succeed, the operator can improvise by screaming through the microphone or playing a different clip that is not among the random settings. One preferred is the heavy metal band Death punch five finger The “Blue on Black” cover, which may explode lyric “has turned and ran” while secreting wolves.
Done pilots at the US Department of Agriculture continued livestock protection patrols this summer while searching for wolf responses in trends with high levels of conflict along the borders of Oregon California. South patrols extended to the Sierra Valley in August for the first time, according to the Ministry of Fish and Wildlife in California.
It is unclear whether the wolves are accustomed to drones. Shepherds and wolf fishermen in Europe have long lifted them with long queues hanging with a cloth with a cloth, but wolves can eventually learn that flags are not a threat.
Environmental defenders are optimistic about drones, because they allow the fear of wolves in different ways, in different places.
“Fear of wolves is new things,” said Amaruk Weiss, a wolf defender at the Center for Biological Diversity. “I know that in the human imagination, people in wolves think that they are great scary creatures that are afraid of nothing.”
There are also defects of technology. A unmanned drone requires a night vision and loudspeakers about $ 20,000, and require professional training and does not work well in wooded areas, making it an impractical for many livestock breeders.
Cattle breeders in northern California who hosted the US Department of Agriculture drones are agreed that they have reduced livestock deaths so far.
“I appreciate what they did. But I do not think it is a long -term solution,” said Mary Recred, the owner of the cattle farm north of Jabal Shassa. “What I am afraid of is that after a period of time, they suddenly go,” Wow, this will not harm me. It makes a lot of noise. “
Livestock breeders are compensated if they can prove that the wolf killed its livestock. But there are non -equivalent costs for the presence of stressful cows, such as low -birth rates and stricter meat.
Riccrat said that drones are not working in the long run, as they have to close the work, in which they participated in the eighties at least. She wants permission to shoot wolves if they attack their animals or if they come to their property after a certain number of attacks.
If technology proves its effectiveness and costs decrease, livestock can have one day to ask wolves to disappear.
Paul Wolf, based in Oregon-Naam, Wolf-is the supervisor of the southwestern province of the US Department of Agriculture and the fans of the five-to-fingers between drones. Remember an early meeting, it seemed that the wolf initially was curious in the sight of a drone, until the pilot spoke to him through the speaker.
Wolf said: “He said, Wolf – Get out here.” “The wolf allows immediately to go to livestock and escape.”