Interesting Global News

SAPPORO, Japan -- The "Monster Wolf," a robot developed at a small factory in Naie on Japan's northernmost main island, Hokkaido, is raising hopes -- and drawing a few double-takes -- in farming communities troubled by unwanted visits from wildlife.

In Japan, bear sightings and attacks have been on the rise. Enter the Monster Wolf, which is designed to help create a buffer zone between wildlife and people.

One of the robots guards a cherry orchard in Takikawa, about an hour's train ride north of Sapporo. It detects animals with an infrared sensor as they approach, and emits loud noises -- gunshots, barking dogs, human voices -- to frighten them away. It turns its head menacingly from side to side, red LED eyes flashing and blue ones doing the same on its rump. The Takikawa city office installed the robot four years ago at the orchard, which is located between nearby mountains and residential areas.

Ohta Seiki, the company behind the Monster Wolf, is in the machining business. In 2008, it branched out into the LEDs, developing the robot to stand out from rivals. Yuji Ohta, the company's president, came up with the idea after reading about farmers' crops being ravaged by hungry deer.

Ohta Seiki built the frame of the robot from strong pipe, allowing it to withstand Hokkaido's temperature swings. The first iteration of the robot emitted only sounds and light; the wolf-like appearance was added later to make it more intimidating. To prevent deer and bears from getting used to it, the robot emits a variety of sounds at random from its repertoire of more than 60 noises. The volume is set at 90 decibels, equivalent to a car horn.

Ohta Seiki has so far sold around 250 Monster Wolves. Although more than half are operating in Hokkaido, one was shipped to Okinawa, Japan's southernmost prefecture.

"We hope to deliver 1,000 to 2,000 units in the future, all over Japan," President Ohta said. The company has also received inquiries from more than 10 overseas markets, including the U.S. and Europe, which deal with such animal intruders as buffalo and coyotes.

Since 2023, Ohta Seiki has been testing a mobile version of the robot, which has an electric-powered carriage developed by Suzuki Motor. This fall, the company conducted tests on a self-driving version along preset routes, in cooperation with researchers from Jin-ai University in Fukui prefecture and the University of Tokyo. The company is also developing a system for automatic tracking of wildlife and a remote controlled carriage.

Hokkaido has more wilderness than many parts of Japan. It suffered more crop damage from birds and animals in fiscal 2022 than in any other prefecture in terms of area, volume and value, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Losses from wildlife in Hokkaido totaled more than 5.6 billion yen ($36 million) that year, 36% of the national total.

In fiscal 2023, 1,804 brown bears were captured in Hokkaido, roughly twice as many as the previous year and the largest number since fiscal 1962, according to the prefectural government. Captured animals included "urban bears" that entered residential areas due to a lack food in their natural habitats. Hokkaido residents have called for the establishment of buffer zones to keep wildlife and people apart.

"Zoning is important for the protection of humans from brown bears," said Toshio Tsubota, a professor at Hokkaido University and an expert on the biology of bears. "Such steady efforts as controlling encroachment routes of animals and installing electric fences will be necessary," he added.

Ohta Seiki is now conducting demonstrations of a robotic "Monster Eagle," aimed at scaring off crows and other birds. As damage from birds tend to occur in big cities, the company is looking at using different sales channels for the robotic raptor.