Overview
- The USDA’s wolf hazing program uses drones with thermal cameras and loudspeakers to broadcast a heated argument from the 2019 film Marriage Story alongside fireworks, gunshots and rock music.
- Over two months of trials in Oregon’s Klamath Basin, livestock losses fell from eleven to two, a change officials attribute to the nonlethal deterrent.
- The tactic is designed to protect endangered gray wolves under federal law by frightening rather than harming the predators.
- Drones illuminate approaching wolves with floodlights before playing recorded human voices to reinforce the perception of danger.
- Wildlife specialists warn that wolves may habituate to repeated noise exposure and that the method could impose undue stress on wildlife and livestock, calling its long-term sustainability into question.