|
|
 |
 |
Digital Howlbox Tracks Wolves
Everyone listens to digital music these days, even wolves. But they don't know it. That's because scientists in Montana and Idaho are experimenting with a device they call a Howlbox that makes the sound of a wolf howling. It sounds so real, that live wolves howl right back.
Then the box records the responses. Each wolf has a unique howl, so the scientists can use the recordings to find out how many wolves are out there. Once the members of the wolf pack are counted, scientists will know much more about wolf populations.
The gray wolf was close to extinction in the Yellowstone National Park, and the federal government put more wolves there to help them recover. They used tools like radio collars and satellites to keep track of them. That was in the 1990s. Now the wolves have made a comeback, and the government can't spend as much money to see how they're doing. The Howlboxes are a cheaper way to keep track of the wolves.
This isn't the first time that scientists have used sounds to track animals. Biologists have used similar techniques to learn about birds and frogs. The Howlboxes are different, because they use solar power instead of batteries. That, plus the computers they use, means they're the first devices that can count and keep track of animals in the wild.
I'm Isaac and that's what happened in technology this week.
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
