Japan deploys robot wolves to scare bears
IN JAPANESE comic books it is nothing out of the ordinary to see gigantic robots taking on wild creatures.
But the town of Takikawa, in the mountains of Hokkaido, has become the first to put the fantasy to the test by deploying robot wolves in a bid to ward off aggressive bears.
Local residents expressed concern in September when bears were reported roaming the outskirts of the town.
Sightings of bears in Japan are at a five-year high of 13,670 this year. Some 63 people were mauled in attacks between September and late October, with two people dying of their injuries.
Takikawa officials purchased the “monster wolves” to “avoid friction between local residents and bears”.
Developed by a machinery company in conjunction with two universities, the robot wolves have infrared sensors to detect movement nearby. When triggered, the robot shakes its head aggressively and lets out a loud recorded roar.
The creature – which is 4 ft (1.2m) long and 3ft high – has bright red eyes and is covered in a realistic animal pelt.
Residents reported 10 bears earlier in the autumn – typically, just one would be seen each year – and say the robots appear to have worked as no bears have been seen since they were installed. “At the very least, they have been effective in making residents feel at ease”, an official told The Mainichi newspaper.
The Japanese government convened
an emergency meeting in late October to consider the growing problem of bears wandering into rural communities and clashing with humans.
On Oct 16, a man in a hot spring was attacked by a bear and bitten on his arms and legs. Another incident saw a 13-hour standoff at a shopping mall in Ishikawa when a bear found its way inside. Police shot and killed the animal.
Experts believe adverse weather conditions this year have led to a shortage of acorns and other staples that make up the diet of Asian black bears and brown bears as they prepare to hibernate, forcing them to forage further afield and encroach on residential areas.
One expert warned that a new generation of bears had become so used to being around humans that they were no longer frightened of them, which is likely to lead to an increase in incidents.