Robot wolves to scare away bears

Japan is facing an unprecedented wildlife coexistence crisis, pushing the Hokkaido-based company Ohta Seiki to the brink of running out of stock.

Faced with the tragic surge in fatal bear attacks on humans last year, municipalities and farmers are turning en masse to a radical technological solution: the Monster Wolf.

This next-generation animatronic scarecrow, with its deliberately ferocious appearance, is designed to overwhelm predators’ senses with flashing red eyes and a sound system capable of emitting terrifying howls and growls.

The success is such that the company has already recorded more than fifty orders since the beginning of the year, thus exceeding its usual annual volume in just a few months.

Faced with this record demand, the company’s president, Yuji Ohta, has had to implement a two- to three-month waiting list, as the manufacture of these robotic wolves remains a meticulous, artisanal process that does not allow for immediate industrial production.

This massive deployment comes as bears, driven by food shortages in the high mountains and the depopulation of rural areas, are venturing ever closer to human settlements, transforming this metal wolf into a vital bulwark for public safety in 2026.