MISSOULA – The presence of black bears in the Missoula city limits has steadily increased over the past few years. In fall 2024, there were seven confirmed black bear sightings on the University of Montana campus, on top of a growing number of deer and other wildlife.
These encounters may feel like a charming part of mountain-town life, but they can lead to human-wildlife conflict. UM researchers are at the forefront of trying to understand what co-existence can look like with both human and animal safety in mind.
UM researchers are experimenting with using an automated drone to haze wildlife away from high-traffic areas on campus. In an innovative partnership between data scientists, computer programmers and wildlife specialists, efforts to build the aerial device are underway through UM’s Autonomous Aerial Systems Office.
AASO serves as an anchor that pulls together all the experts needed, helping to steer a design that uses artificial intelligence to identify the animal type and then audio hazing that responds to incidents in real-time.
Hazing — the use of nonlethal methods to dissuade animals from areas of high human activity — has long been a tool of wildlife managers. What is new, however, is the deployment of drones as the means for maintaining this harmony between people and animals.
Wesley Sarmento, a UM Ph.D. student in wildlife biology and co-principal investigator on the project, said drones have been game-changing in his line of work. Before returning to UM to earn his doctorate, Sarmento became the first entirely prairie-based grizzly bear manager in eastern Montana, where he developed new techniques to keep people safe and bears out of trouble.
Throughout his tenure in this position, Sarmento tested a variety of methodologies in keeping bears at bay, but he said none have been as effective as infrared heat-sensing drones for detecting and deterring bears. Not only can the drone locate wildlife no matter the conditions using its heat-sensing capabilities, it can also effectively and humanely move them away from conflict.
“With a drone, you can basically lead them exactly where you want them to go,” Sarmento said. “When I was a bear manager, I always had a drone with me. It’s become that essential.”
Drones offer a proactive solution that helps prevent conflict from happening. Unlike traditional hazing methods like rubber bullets, sirens or trained dogs, drones offer more precision and significantly less risk of injury to both wildlife and people.
This is the concept: When an animal is spotted, an alert is sent to a trained drone pilot who deploys the drone from a centrally mounted box. Once launched, the drone flies to the wildlife’s location guided by GPS and emits targeted sounds to move the animal safely out of the area.
“Bears have been shown to react strongly to the sound of drones,” said Jeremy Crowley, AASO director and the other investigator on the project. “The drone’s sound mimics the buzzing of a swarm of bees, of which bears already have an instinctive fear.”
That distinctive buzzing sound, combined with carefully planned drone flight paths, allows handlers to guide bears toward a safer location. More importantly, the animal associates a negative experience with that distinctive sound, influencing their behavior and decreasing the chances that they will return.
The result is fewer emergency calls to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and UM Campus Police, fewer vehicle-wildlife collisions and, critically, fewer lethal removals of bears and other animals.
Bears aren’t the only interlopers in Missoula, as deer have become a common lawn ornament with their own set of repercussions. Deer can damage crops, carry diseases like chronic wasting disease and Lyme disease, and cause car collisions that cost billions in the U.S. annually. Elk present similar challenges, and Montana studies have shown that frequent hazing can successfully keep these ungulates out of conflict zones.
Sarmento and Crowley hope to further enhance their device to deter a variety of other species as they develop the system. But they emphasize the point is not only to drive wildlife away from people but also to teach these animals to avoid risky areas.
UM’s Lubrecht Experimental Forest in the Blackfoot Valley has been an important resource for the drone project’s development. The large forest supports a wide spectrum of research and has been leveraged as a training ground for drone handlers, providing a space to map a variety of different terrains and use drones for specialized tasks.
AASO keeps records of each flight and analyzes data to evaluate how drones can be a tool for research. When it comes to hazing, the video and data track if the animals are responding to hazing and identify where they are moving after being deterred. This helps researchers fine-tune their systems for maximum effectiveness while minimizing stress on the animals.
“This kind of technology will revolutionize land and wildlife management into the future,” Crowley said.
The AASO team recently applied for a grant to take the project to the next level. With financial support, they can invest in technology and provide training to more students and stakeholders who can benefit from the high-flying tool. This summer, AASO also instructed a variety of students aimed at careers in everything from data technology to public safety on flying drones at Lubrecht.
While running these training workshops, the team is also mapping Lubrecht Experimental Forest with high-resolution imagery, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, and multispectral cameras. This baseline data will support future efforts for UM, public lands agencies and organizations that use the property for research and training.
If the Sarmento and Crowley drone system proves to be effective, researchers hope for it to be a model for other campuses and communities across the country or even globally.
“If we can reduce conflict before it happens, both people and animals win,” Sarmento said. “I think it’s a tool that has the potential to be effective for wildlife managers the world over.”
