USDA Uses Movie Clip Of Marital Spat To Scare Wolves Away

A new report from The Wall Street Journal explains how the USDA is using movie clips and popular music to keep hungry wolves away from livestock.

One clip of audio is from the 2019 drama “Marriage Story” starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern. The film follows a couple going through a divorce while navigating custody issues over their son. The particular scene being used by the USDA, which has been popular among meme creators for years, shows the couple embattled in a heated argument. 

According to WSJ, ranchers are using drones equipped with thermal cameras and spotlights to detect wolves at night, while loudspeakers blast unsettling sounds such as fireworks, gunshots, or even movie clips to keep the deadly predators at bay.

“I need the wolves to respond and know that, hey, humans are bad,” USDA district supervisor Paul Wolf told the outlet.

Playing these clips at high volume is known as “wolf hazing” and acts as a deterrent for wolves looking to turn livestock into a meal. During this hazing, the speakers blast songs such as Five Finger Death Punch’s “Blue on Black” and the AC/DC classic “Thunderstruck” to scare off the would-be predators. 

These drones are being used to protect the gray wolf population in the area, which is still on the endangered species list. But the article noted how the number of gray wolves has expanded since they were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995.

WSJ noted that fewer calves were killed in southern Oregon after the drones were introduced. Over a period of 20 days, ranchers lost 11 cattle, but after 85 days of using the music and movie clip broadcasting drones, only 2 calves fell victim to the hungry wolves.

Whether “wolf hazing” can function as a long-term strategy for the USDA remains to be seen. Ranchers Jim and Mary Rickerts are unsure of its effectiveness if the wolves become used to the drones over time. “Hopefully they’re gonna be successful, but I’m kinda betting on the wolves, truth be known,” Jim Rickerts told The Wall Street Journal.