As Japan continues to battle record numbers of bear attacks, a robot wolf invented to scare the animals away has become a surprise hit, with inquiries for the product tripling in recent months.
The faux fur-clad Monster Wolf, developed by Hokkaido-based precision machining company Ohta Seiki, may not look realistic – it was initially mocked for its “foolish” appearance – but has proven its effectiveness since it was first released in 2016, according to Kyodo news agency.
When the robot wolf’s infrared sensors detect an approaching animal, its eyes will glow red. It will turn its head, flash blue LED lights and make sounds as loud as a car horn to deter the animal. There are about 50 different sounds it can play at random, ranging from animal howls to human voices.
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“Bears are very cautious animals and often act alone,” Yuji Ota, president of Ohta Seiki, told Kyodo. “When there is a loud noise, they would think there is something there and would not come close.”
Although people were initially sceptical, it proved its effectiveness and ease of maintenance during rental trials. Now, about 330 of them have been placed on farms, along animal trails and other places in Japan where bears are sighted.
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The recent surge in bear attacks had caused inquiries for the product to triple, the company said. There were also about 10 queries from overseas, including one from India asking whether Monster Wolf could work against elephants.
