In movies in literature, a wolf's haunting howl can signify danger or untamed nature.

In real life, researchers in Yellowstone National Park are analyzing those howls with cutting-edge AI technology to better monitor and track wolves.

Matt Standell of PBS Montana explains.

6.53, the wolves that across the river are howling. Here in Yellowstone National Parks, Lamar Valley, wolves from one of the park's nine packs have made a kill.

Let's go ahead and feel free to take a look through there.

It's the Junction Butte pack.

It's the end of August, the peak of bison rutting or mating season, and a time when

wolves increasingly prey on bison.

Many become injured or weakened during the fierce competition for a mate and the wolves take

advantage.

Park wolf technician Jeremy Sundaraj is monitoring the pack as they feed and teaching curious tourists

about wolves. So what we're trying to do here is just kind of count how many there are, I record

their behavior if we can see like what the carcass is. This is almost certainly a kill just based

on how they're behaving around it. And if we're quiet, we can actually maybe hear him howling.

Their howls have become central to a new cutting-edge conservation project

using artificial intelligence to decode sound recordings.

This development in the field of bioacoustics could redefine how wolves like these are monitored in the wild.

You got it?

Since 1995, when gray wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone,

park biologists have used airplanes to spot them, helicopters to track them,

and dart guns to tag them so they can be fitted with radio and GPS callers.

And you can see most of the wolf talking is happening in the night.

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