Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Robot scares wildlife
A WOLF-LIKE robot to drive away wild animals that cause damage on farms has been introduced on a trial basis in Kisarazu, Japan.
Named Super Monster Wolf, the robot is almost the same size as an adult wolf, is covered with fur and bares its fangs.
It detects wild animals with an infra-red ray sensor and intimidates them, flashing the red LEDs of its eyes on and off and blaring 18 sounds in rotation, including a wolf ’s growl, a human voice and a gunshot. A Hokkaido company developed it to keep away bears and deer.
A Kisarazu city official said there had been no signs of wild animals or birds nearby since Super Monster Wolf was installed on July 11.
The firm will start manufacturing the robots to order next month. They will sell for about ¥200 000 (R24 000). – Washington Post