Researchers in the U.K. have designed a computer program that can read the howls of individual wolves with amazing accuracy.

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    With the new program, the researchers catalogued 67 archived calls made by 10 wolves, and were able to identify the solo howls with 100 percent accuracy. In recordings where wolves howled together in groups, the program identified the source of each howl with a success rate of 97 percent.

    The method of identification measures both the pitch of a wolf’s howl and the volume. This gives conservationists a way of tracking the animals as they move with less hassle than using GPS. The system is said to be particularly useful for counting individual pack members.

    In the course of their research the team also deduced that wolves from specific areas may have regional accents.


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    Read the full study.