In a creative twist on wildlife management, researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are using drones—and some loud rock music—to keep gray wolves from attacking livestock in the American West.
Drones equipped with speakers have been flying near wolf packs in areas along the California-Oregon border, blasting everything from AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” to audio clips from Hollywood films. The result? So far, wolves are backing off.
“Wolves are frightened of novel things,” said Amaroq Weiss of the Center for Biological Diversity in an interview with The Associated Press. “Despite their reputation, they’re not fearless.”
Researchers found that not only do loud guitar riffs from Angus Young get the job done, but even scenes from the 2019 film Marriage Story—featuring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver—can send the animals running.
Gray wolves, once nearly extinct in the U.S., have been making a strong comeback since the 1990s due to conservation efforts. However, their growing numbers have led to increased conflicts with ranchers. In 2022 alone, wolves were responsible for the deaths of approximately 800 livestock animals across 10 states.
Traditional deterrents like guard dogs, electric fencing, and horseback patrols have had limited success. That’s where the drones come in.
One researcher described an encounter in which a wolf showed interest in a hovering drone—until someone shouted through the speaker, “Hey wolf, get out of here!” The wolf quickly turned tail.
Ranchers are cautiously optimistic. “I really appreciate what they’re doing,” said Mary Rickert, a local cattle rancher. “But I don’t think it’s a long-term solution. Eventually the wolves might realize it’s just noise.”
The team behind the project acknowledges the limitations. Each drone costs around $20,000, not including the price of training and staffing pilots. The method is also less effective in heavily forested areas.
Still, researchers see potential. “If we can reduce the negative impact of wolves on ranchers, it improves the chances of long-term coexistence,” said biologist Dustin Ranglack.
For now, it seems that a little rock ’n’ roll might be the unexpected key to keeping peace between predators and people.
