Japan’s ever-escalating war against encroaching bears has led to an almost comical sense of desperation, resulting in hilarious displays of innovation. And all of this is in an effort to solve a real and serious problem: bear encounters.
Recently, a company proposed installing storefronts with sliding glass doors that can’t accidentally be opened automatically by a human or a bear; this one instead requires a tap on a smartphone, a technology that bears have not yet mastered.
Now, a company is proposing a whole new tactic that is slightly scary to humans like me and, hopefully, terrifying to bears: Monster Wolf, an army of robot wolves that look like cheap haunted-house decorations but, apparently, get the job done.
Japan Turns to Robot Wolves as Bear Encounters Rise
Reported by Japan Today, the Monster Wolf was created by Hokkaido-based Ohta Seiki Co. It is basically a mechanical scarecrow made to look like a wolf (Wolfcrow? Scarewolf?).
It’s been upgraded with glowing red eyes, swiveling metal joints, and a sound system that blasts over 50 randomized noises, including the obvious lupine howls, but also mixes in some human voices to keep bears guessing. All that blares of the volume of a car horn.
Its sensors trigger the mechanical wolf freakout whenever a creature wanders too close. Bears, despite what their recent wanderings into civilization may suggest, prefer a life of quiet solitude, so they tend to flee when confronted with a screaming robo wolf.
The robot wolf has been around since 2016. People mocked it as a goofy gimmick back then. But now that things have gotten desperate, as bears search for food anywhere they can, the Monster Wolf isn’t looking like the worst option.
The pan today says that there are around 330 Monster wolves stationed across Japan, situated in areas where bears might wander. With the recent bear attacks, Ohta Seiki says demand has spiked.
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