Japan 'robot wolves' in high demand to scare off bears

A Japanese company making ferocious-looking robot wolves is being swamped by orders after record numbers of fatal bear attacks on humans last year.

"Monster Wolf" is an animatoronic scarecrow with flashing red eyes that howls and growls menacingly to scare away wild animals.

Ohta Seiki, the Hokkaido-based firm that makes the devices, has already received around 50 orders this year, more than the usual volume for an entire year.

"We make them by hand. We cannot make them fast enough now. We are asking our customers to wait two to three months," company president Yuji Ohta told AFP.

"Awareness of bear safety and measures against wildlife damage (on farm products) improved. There was also a growing recognition that our product is effective in dealing with bears," Ohta said.

Orders come mostly from farmers, operators of golf courses and people working outside in rural areas such as in construction.

Bears killed 13 people across Japan in 2025-2026, more than twice the previous high.

More than 50,000 bear sightings were recorded nationwide, more than double the previous record set two years before, according to official data.

The animals were seen entering homes, roaming near schools and rampaging through supermarkets and hot spring resorts on an almost daily basis.

The number of bears captured and then culled nearly tripled from a year earlier to 14,601, also marking an all-time high.

Some northern regions also reported in April more than four times as many sightings as last year as the animals emerge from hibernation, local media said.

"Monster Wolf" features artificial fur draped over an assembled pipe frame, attached to speakers, topped with a menacing, open-mouthed face.

For prices starting from around $4,000 or higher, the system comes with a battery, solar panels, sensors, speakers and other apparatus.

It broadcasts more than 50 kinds of recorded sounds, including human voices and electronic noises, audible up to one kilometre away.

The device turns its head from side to side, flashes red LED eyes, while its tail is equipped with blue LEDs.

Ohta introduced the product in 2016 to prevent damage to agricultural products by deer, boars and bears, and it was initially derided as a gimmick.

The company is now upgrading the device by putting it on wheels to chase animals or patrol specific paths.

Ohta also plans to develop a hand-held version for hikers, anglers and schoolchildren, while also exploring artificial intelligence cameras for future models.

"We wanted to apply our manufacturing to do our part to deal with bears," he said.

Agence France-Presse